Estuario Weekly Update
Don’t miss the next Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. We will have learning activities for the whole family and opportunities to accumulate Contacto Verde or community service hours.
We invite you to join the discussion tables regarding the supporting documents of the new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and take advantage of the public comment period extension for the action plans. See also the professional development, training, and volunteer opportunities available, as well as the recent actions in benefit the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). Keep reading!
Family Day
San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP) invites you to the next Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, starting at 2:30 p.m. on the grounds of Jaime Benítez Park. We will have the following activities:
[2:30 p.m.] Sports activity – Enjoy a game of badminton with family and friends.
[3:30 p.m.] San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership Talk – Learn more about our initiatives, projects, and how you can get involved (counts toward Contacto Verde/community service hours).
[4:00 p.m.] Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve Ground Cleanup – Join our team in the collection of waste around the Reserve (Contacto Verde/community service).
[4:00 p.m.] Underwater Tour: Exploring coral reefs and seagrasses in Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve – On this guided tour, you will learn about the most common corals in the area, their ecological role, current threats, and what we can do to protect them. This activity has a maximum capacity of 15 people. You must register separately, in estuario.org/eventos. Certain rules apply. (Contacto Verde/community service).
[6:00 p.m.] Interpretive Tour: Getting to know pollination in the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve – Learn about the plants of the Reserve, their pollination and discover their connection with water quality. A tour suitable for the whole family (Contacto Verde/community service).
Minors must be always accompanied by an adult. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at: [email protected]
Cine del Estuario
Cine del Estuario presents: Wicked: For Good; on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. The film will be screened in Spanish, with English subtitles. This feature is free of charge. No registration is required. Bring your blanket or chair!
Join the discussion tables on the supporting documents of the new CCMP
SJBEP invites citizens, government agencies, municipalities, community organizations, academia, and other interested sectors to participate in the discussion tables that will be held on Monday, July 13, 2026, as part of the public comment period of the four supporting documents of the new CCMP.
There will be four discussion tables during the day, one for each document:
Monitoring Plan | from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Habitat Restoration Strategy | 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Financial Strategy | 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Communication Strategy & Community Outreach | from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The hybrid meetings will be held from the SJBEP office (1315 Avenida Ponce de León, San Juan, PR 00907; third floor) with virtual space via Zoom.
Supporting documents will remain available for public comment until August 11, 2026. We encourage you to download them, review them and participate in the discussion tables. All documents are available HERE.
Public Comment Period on CCMP Action Plans Extended
On April 15, 2026, we completed the approval of the drafts of the five CCMP action plans. The public hearing was held on June 16, thus culminating the official public comment period for these documents.
To further encourage citizen participation, we have extended the public comment period until July 30, 2026.
We invite you to review the documents and submit your comments before the new deadline.
Enroll in the Graduate Course: CIAM 8990
CIAM 8990: Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Water Resource Infrastructure; is an interdisciplinary course integrated into multiple sectors for the study of Socio-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETs). The project to revert the channeling of the Juan Méndez Creek will be presented as a case study and space to apply knowledge.
It seeks to offer and bring the student closer to the theory and tools to address aspects related to SETs when conducting research that promotes the resilience of highly vulnerable regions. The course is theoretical-practical and will integrate and apply the concepts of “systems thinking”, “collaborative work”, “integration with communities” and “interdisciplinary research”.
The course is open to graduate students from multiple faculties and programs (e.g. Natural Sciences, Planning, Social Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, Public Health).
At the end of the course, students will create a research proposal using the Juan Méndez Creek as a case study to compete for a 1-year scholarship (stipend) ($20,000 master’s, $30,000 doctorate). For more information, contact Dr. Jorge Ortiz Zayas (Dept. of Environmental Sciences, UPR-Río Piedras) at: [email protected]
Professional Services Contract Opportunities
Know the environmental condition of the SJBE
We present the Fourth Report on the State of the San Juan Bay Estuary, 2024 Edition. This report collects, analyzes, and recommends the most relevant scientific/socio-ecological findings of the past 10 years in the SJBE system. It covers topics such as water, sediment and fish pollution, the importance of citizen science and governance, the observation of resources and living resources as environmental indicators and those studies at the watershed level, modeling and coastal resilience. A total of 28 collaborators and authors contributed their knowledge to create this 251-page work. We aspire for you to connect through your reading with SJBEP’s mission and increase your level of knowledge about this important estuarine system. Download it HERE.
Volunteers Conduct Microplastics Assessment
On Friday, June 26, 2026, we carried out the most recent field experience of the Certification for Citizen Scientists’ Microplastic Characterization and Reduction module.
We are grateful to the volunteers who accompanied us in collecting and identifying microplastics across the San Juan Bay, increasing their understanding of the science and applying what they learned directly in the field. We also thank Captain Kenneth Pastor of Kap Inc., for his support in the experience. See upcoming SJBEP’s Certification for Citizen Scientists activities below.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities for the coming weeks. Remember that these workshops and field experiences count toward Contacto Verde or community service hours. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. See more information and register, at: estuario.org/ccc
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological monitoring; Thursday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, July 16, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-chemical parameters; Thursday, July 16, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module
Field experience; Saturday, July 11, at 9:00 a.m. at San Juan Bay
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses; Tuesday, July 7, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, July 11, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, July 11, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, July 18, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, July 18, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Prepare for Hurricane Season
This 2026 hurricane season, SJBEP urges you to be prepared. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Protecting your community starts at home.
Also visit the SJBEP Virtual Community Hub, where you’ll find vital information such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t be scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, July 2, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend, notwithstanding, avoiding the coastal 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.
