Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings! This week, we’re sharing more ways to contribute to the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). From educational activities and opportunities to get involved, to family events and conservation efforts, check out all the ways you can join the collective work for a healthy and strong estuary, below.
Family Day
Join us for the next Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Jaime Benítez Park. We will start at 3:30 p.m. with an arts workshop on prints with linoleum on fabric, followed by a botanical tour and a workshop on the ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves. See all the details, in estuario.org/eventos.
The Family Day provides opportunities to accumulate Contacto Verde or community service hours, as applicable. For questions or comments, please email us at: [email protected].
Cine del Estuario
Cine del Estuario presents a new feature of Superman (2025); on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jaime Benítez Park of Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. The film will be screened in Spanish, with English subtitles. This feature is free of charge. Bring your blanket or chair!
Call for Research Proposals—Estuario Fellowship for Graduate Students
San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP) will offer a scholarship for graduate students to develop and carry out studies aimed at understanding and addressing the complex problems identified in the Juan Méndez Creek, in San Juan. Interested parties are encouraged to focus their research proposals on topics related to ecosystem analysis, innovative problem-solving strategies, and community outreach.
The deadline is December 15, 2025. The period is six months. The scholarship is $10,000 for master’s students, $15,000 for doctoral students. More information is available here.
Employment Opportunity
Professional Services Contract Opportunities
Reducing aquatic debris in the SJBE
Below are recent recycling and waste reduction initiatives and actions across the SJBE watershed:
Christmas at La Goyco
SJBEP will be present at Taller Comunidad La Goyco’s Christmas celebration, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, supporting the event as part of environmental awareness and material diversion efforts.
Look for us at the recycling stations!
Blue Friday 2025
On Friday, November 28, 2025, 35 volunteers joined the fourth annual Blue Friday Coastal Cleanup event organized by swimmers’ group Los Tsunamis at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve.
The volunteers removed six bags of waste from the waters and shores of the Reserve, for a total of 161 pounds. Among the most outstanding items were aluminum cans, glass bottles, fishing materials, single-use plastics, textiles, buoys, oars and beach chairs, among others.
We thank all the volunteers for their dedication, commitment and energy, and the Los Tsunamis group for their continued support in the management and protection of the Reserve.
Until next Blue Friday!
Microplastics evaluation in Condado
Three volunteers studied the presence of microplastics at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, as a field experience of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists’ Microplastic Characterization and Reduction module, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
Thanks to Ivan Cosme, Camelia Ballester and Delianie Negrón for their action and environmental commitment. See more events where you can contribute to the restoration and management of the ecosystems connected to the SJBE, below.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. The Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists’ workshops and field experiences count toward Contacto Verde or community service hours. See more information at: estuario.org/ccc.
Water Quality Monitoring
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological monitoring; Tuesday, December 9, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Dec. 11, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-chemical parameters; Thursday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, Dec. 15, at 8:30 a.m. at Lago Las Curías and Río Piedras
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Tuesday, December 16, at 9:00 a.m. at the San Juan Bay
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; on Wednesday, December 17, at 8:00 a.m. at Laguna San José/Torrecilla
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Dec. 18, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience
Field Experience: Seed and plant propagation; on Sunday, December 14, at 8:00 a.m. at Centro TAU, Loíza
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves; Tuesday, December 16, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field experience: Planting coastal vegetation; Saturday, December 20, at 8:00 a.m. in Piñones
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, December 4, 2025. We have a RED flag for Condado Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the areas that exceeded the «Beach Action Value» water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
