Estuario Weekly Update
This week, we provide you with more educational opportunities and highlight actions taken to benefit the ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). Join our initiatives!
National Estuaries Week
National Estuaries Week continues! We thank all the volunteers, citizen scientists, and friends of the SJBE who have supported this week’s activities.
Explore the estuary
We’ll be closing the celebration with the third annual biodiversity documentation event at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Natural Reserve, Exploring the Estuary; on Saturday, September 27. Documentation efforts will be divided into groups:
Marine Life Documentation [8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.]
Documentation of Plants and Terrestrial Life [8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.]
Documentation of Plants and Terrestrial Life [10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.]
Documentation of Plants and Terrestrial Life [2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.]
Documentation of Plants and Terrestrial Life [4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.]
Documentation of nocturnal fauna [6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.]
There are still spaces available. Choose a group and register today, at estuario.org/eventos.
Family Day
A new Family Day arrives at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Natural Reserve. On Saturday, October 4, we focus on the bats that inhabit the SJBE ecosystems, starting at 3:30 p.m. at Jaime Benitez Park. Don’t miss a sports activity, educational games, an educational talk about bats, the reading of the story: Canito, el murciélago pescador; and trivia for the whole family.
The Family Day is free of charge. We have opportunities to accumulate Green Contact or community service hours, as applicable. See more information at: estuario.org/eventos.
Cine del Estuario
Cine del Estuario presents: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Natural Reserve. The film will be screened in Spanish, with English subtitles. This feature is free of charge. Bring your blanket or chair.
International Coastal Cleanup 2025
On Saturday, September 20, the start of National Estuaries Week, a total of 103 volunteers recovered 38 bags totaling 638 lbs. or more than 2,900 items from the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Natural Reserve, as part of the fortieth International Coastal Cleanup. It was a morning full of energy, collaboration and education.
Thanks to all the volunteers who gathered, to the following entities: Escuela Nueva Pedagogía, Paradiso College Preparatory, Juan Antonio Corretjer, Escuela Trina Padilla, Colegio Marista, Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas, Federación Puertorriqueña de Canotaje, Vocacional Miguel Such, Colegio San Ignacio, Universidad Ana. G. Méndez, Amigos de la Laguna, Liga de Paddle Board de Puerto Rico, University High School, the Municipality of San Juan and the organizers: Scuba Dogs Society. Until next time!
Inauguration of Vivero Estuario
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, in close collaboration with the Ricky Martin Foundation, the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP) inaugurated the plant nursery Vivero Estuario, located at Centro TAU, in Loíza. This space responds to the need to strengthen and conserve coastal ecosystems that help mitigate the impacts of severe atmospheric events and reverse environmental damage. Vivero Estuario will be a community learning place to exchange knowledge on the planting and monitoring of coastal vegetation used in the restoration of sand dunes, mangroves and other ecosystems, among other purposes.
Estuario thanks all the collaborators, friends, volunteers and citizen scientists who gathered to celebrate such an important achievement.
Annual Meeting of the Network for Integrated Management of Resources and Waste
On Tuesday, September 23, the most recent annual meeting of the Intermunicipal Network for Integrated Management of Resources and Waste of the SJBE basin was held. The meeting included the continuation of education, collaboration and monitoring efforts of the Network. We had a total of 44 participants, including representatives from the municipalities of Bayamón, Cataño, Guaynabo, Loíza, San Juan, Toa Baja and Trujillo Alto; members of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), federal representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); private sector partners Sun Waste, Reciclaje del Norte, FLRACHES, EDS, ConWaste, TAIS and non-governmental organizations Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership, Scuba Dogs Society, Museo del Reciclaje and CAMBIO PR.
The Municipality of Guaynabo presented its efforts and infrastructure dedicated to resource and waste management. We had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the facilities, challenges and future projects, facilitated by staff from the municipality and ConWaste. The SJBEP and the DNER presented summaries of the efforts made this year. We also had a presentation on the new industry of 100% recycled building materials, by Reciclaje del Norte.
We thank all the representatives of municipalities, agencies, entities and organizations who joined and supported this meeting. The future of sustainable management of our resources and waste is a collaborative one. Thank you!
Employment and Contract Opportunities
Employment
Request for Proposals
Other Professional Services Contract Opportunities
Estuario Project Coordinator – Public Outreach and Education
Media coverage
September 21, 2025. Participa de las actividades de “Fluye con el estuario”. Telenoticias. Telemundo PR. https://youtu.be/CtXaIklbduE
September 24, 2025. Diversidad en el estuario de la bahía de San Juan. Noticentro al amanecer. WAPA TV. https://youtu.be/t4hsPQmklxo
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
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we do not have the bacteriological monitoring results for the samples taken Thursday, September 25, 2025. Notwithstanding, we thank the volunteers who supported this week’s evaluation.
