Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings! This Weekly Update is dedicated to all the mothers who, with their love, effort, and dedication, inspire us to continue working for the good state of our waters and the health of our estuarine ecosystems. Happy Mothers’ Day!
Family Day
Splashed by water, we accomplished the Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve last Saturday, May 4, 2024.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, we started with a macramé workshop, provided by the staff of Taller Aurora, who guided eight participants in the creation of keychains.
Then, we had a yoga class, with instructor Valeria Ruiz. The eight class participants learned basic movements and breathing exercises to improve their body functions and keep them calm.
Later, we had a talk about endemic birds of Puerto Rico, with our bird and education experts, Coral Avilés and Eliezer Nieves. Nine people participated.
We thank José Ramos, administrator of the Jaime Benitez Park, for his continued support. Thanks also to the Blue Lagoon staff, who opened their doors to us to carry out these activities, sheltered from the rain. Until next time!
Global Big Day
Saturday, May 11, 2024, is Global Big Day!
Take part in this global birdwatching day, from your home or from an estuarine ecosystem. You can also join us at the Piñones State Forest, with Coral Avilés and Eliezer Nieves, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Sign up today.
Remember to enter your observations at eBird Caribbean, where birders and nature lovers will be recording their observations, from their respective countries. Learn how, with Estuario’s guide to eBird.
Call for Artists-in-Residence
Estuario is looking for proposals from artists that support the restoration work of the Juan Méndez Creek. See the call, in estuario.org/empleos.
Learn more about the Estuario’s Resident Artists at estuario.org/artistasresidentes.
Employment Opportunities
Curriculum and Assessment Specialist – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking to hire a Curriculum and Assessment Specialist to prepare the curriculum in Spanish for a Professional Certification on Participatory Bird Census and Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics Module.
Communications Support—Urban Waters Federal Partnership – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking qualified applicants to provide Communications support to the Urban Waters Ambassador, who supports the implementation of the Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project.
Senior Project Lead (Juan Méndez Creek Restoration) – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking qualified applicants for the Senior Project Lead- Juan Méndez Creek position to lead project efforts in coordination with Estuario’s work and its team.
Stakeholder and Engagement Manager – The Stakeholder and Engagement Manager assists the Executive Director and the Management Conference with engagement, educational, and outreach activities.
Accountant – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking qualified applications for an Accountant to join our highly skilled team for projects receiving funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Economic Valuation Study – Request for Proposals – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is looking to engage a professional consultant(s) to conduct an economic valuation study to determine the current economic value of the natural resources and services in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed.
Citizen Scientists Certification
Learn more at: estuario.org/ccc
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Field trip—participatory bird census (Global Big Day); on Saturday, May 11, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Piñones State Forest, with environmental educators, Coral Avilés and Eliezer Nieves
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module:
Introductory Workshop—Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics; Thursday, May 16, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom, with Coral Avilés
Field trip—characterization and reduction of microplastics; on Friday, May 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with Cristina Ramírez. The meeting place will be shared at a later date.
Water Quality Module:
Field trip—water quality monitoring; Thursday, May 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Condado Lagoon, with Rebeca Rivera
Coastal Resilience Module:
Introductory Workshop—Coastal Resilience; Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom, with Coral Avilés
Field trip—ecological assessment of coral communities; Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Playita del Condado, with Daritzel Cintrón
Field trip—ecological assessment of seagrasses; Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Laguna del Condado, with Daritzel Cintrón
Media Coverage
Interview with Cristina Ramírez, Aquatic Waste Manager at the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership:
Renia Rosa. April 22, 2024. Tierra plástica: amenaza contra la salud. Suplementos de El Nuevo Día. pp.2-3.
Interview with Dr. Jorge Bauzá, Scientific Director at the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership:
Carlos Omar Rivera. April 26, 2024. Mangles, un ecosistema tropical vital. Entrevista con Jorge Bauzá. Noticentro. WAPA TV. Web: https://wapa.tv/noticias/ciencia/mangles-un-ecosistema-tropical-vital/article_ce358856-03fb-11ef-8785-f79bef7288a7.html
Other Activities
Deep coastal cleanup with Scuba Dogs Society
On Saturday, April 27, a deep coastal cleanup took place. The event was organized by Scuba Dogs Society, with the support of the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership from the Condado Lagoon.
Around 31 volunteers joined the team at Estuario in the cleanup. Members of the swimmers group The tsunamis and other citizens also collaborated, both in the cleanup on land and in the water.
We removed 14 bags of trash, for a total of 181.5 lbs. In addition, we collected 220 lbs. of major debris—wood and concrete—for a final total of 401.5 lbs.
We rescued 70 individuals from different organisms, corresponding to 16 different species.
Weekly Water Quality Monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, May 9, 2024. We have a RED flag for the Condado Lagoon. Several stations exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. We recommend avoiding these areas. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
