Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings! Through our weekly update, we highlight the actions that strengthen the protection of our natural resources and encourage citizen participation in benefit of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). Learn about upcoming recycling and volunteering activities, career opportunities and educational events, below.
Reducing aquatic waste in estuarine waters
Join several recycling and waste reduction initiatives across the SJBE watershed:
Recycling pop-up in Loíza
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, LimPiaR will hold its monthly Recycling Pop-up event from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Parque Miguel Fuentes Pinet in Loíza.
Accepted materials are: #1, #2 and #5 plastics, aluminum and brass cans and dull corrugated cardboard.
Bring your recyclables!
Call for volunteers for recycling stations at Taller Comunidad La Goyco
We continue calling for volunteers to support the recycling stations at the Christmas lighting event of Taller Comunidad La Goyco, on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Your participation will count as field experience for the Microplastic Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists. The shifts will last three hours.
Sign up today, HERE.
Blue Friday 2025
For the fourth consecutive year, the Tsunamis swimmers group invites volunteers to the traditional day of cleanup and maintenance of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, Blue Friday, on Friday, November 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The event will consist of an underwater cleanup for swimmers, a shore cleanup (if you prefer not to enter the water), the removal of submerged debris and support with kayaks or paddle boards, if you have one available.
Join the Tsunamis this Blue Friday and support the maintenance of the Condado Lagoon! The meeting spot will be at Jaime Benítez Park, at 8:30 a.m. This year, the Tsunamis estimate that they will need four or five rowing boats to help pull materials out of the water. If you’ve got one, your help will be key.
To participate or request more information, contact Laura Magruder at 787-602-0279 or [email protected].
Call for Research Proposals—Estuario Fellowship for Graduate Students
The 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 of six months. The scholarship is $10,000 for master’s students, $15,000 for doctoral students. More information available here.
Join the briefing meeting on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom. Sign up here.
Employment Opportunities
Professional Services Contract Opportunities
Audit & Tax Services Contract Announcement (2025)
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
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, November 17, at 8:00 a.m. at Laguna San José/Torrecilla
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological monitoring; Monday, November 17, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Tuesday, November 18, at 9:00 a.m. at San Juan Bay
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; on Wednesday, November 19, at 8:30 a.m. at Lake Las Curías and the Piedras River
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Nov. 20, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics
Field experience; Friday, November 21, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Coastal Resilience
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves; Tuesday, November 25, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field experience: Planting coastal vegetation; Saturday, November 29, at 8:00 a.m. in Piñones
Field Experience: Seed and plant propagation; on Sunday, November 30, at 8:00 a.m. at Centro TAU, Loíza
Development of environmental protection in Puerto Rico
We’re happy to share the recent publication of the book: Desarrollo de la protección Ambiental en Puerto Rico; written by a pioneer of Puerto Rico’s environmental management and member of the SJBEP’s Board of Directors, geologist Pedro A. Gelabert.
In its pages, Gelabert retells the history of our Island’s relationship with its environment, from indigenous peoples to the challenges of the present, reminding us that the conservation of our natural resources is a collective and generational task.
Learn more about the launch of the book and how to acquire it, via El Nuevo Día.
Prepare for Hurricane Season
Get ready for this hurricane season. Download the Estuario Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Your community’s preparation begins at home.
Also visit the Estuario Virtual Community Hub, where you’ll find vital information such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t get scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, November 13, 2025. We have a GREEN flag for the County Lagoon. Regardless, we recommend avoiding the areas that exceeded the water quality parameter for enterococci «Beach Action Value» of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
