The San José Lagoon is not dead!; March 2011 monitoring completed; Comic Books Workshop; PR Water Monitoring Day Hits Volunteer's Recruitment Record

Pictures: Estuarine Comic Books Workshop on Stormwater Pollution Prevention and Volunteers participating in our March 2011 monitoring events.

Our weekly update for March 26 to April 3, 2011, is as follows:

1) The San José Lagoon is not dead!: Due to the misinterpretation of a water flushing and circulation study needed as part of the feasibility study for the dredging of the Martín Peña Channel, the press announced the death of the San José Lagoon. Quotes such as “the San José Lagoon is worse than a desert” and “the only living organisms in it are bacteria” ran all over social media, blogs, and even printed newspapers. On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, our organization began a media effort to announce that, indeed, the lagoon is not dead, and that we need to protect it and take part in its restoration. Javier Laureano was interviewed for a program aired on WKAQ radio on Sunday, April 3, 2011. Follow these links for some of the articles:

http://www.80grados.net/2011/04/la-laguna-san-jose-no-esta-muerta/

http://www.elnuevodia.com/llenadevidalalagunasanjose-927634.html

http://cpipr.org/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=204:sin-vida-marina-la-laguna-san-jose&catid=58:actualidad&Itemid=105

http://www.prensacomunitaria.com/ambiente/violacion-de-leyes/618-la-laguna-san-jose-no-esta-muerta

2) Crowley Maritime Corporation sponsors Puerto Rico Water Monitoring Day: We are very glad to announce that Crowley approved a $2,500 donation to our organization to sponsor Puerto Rico Water Monitoring Day 2011. Thanks to Lynette Taissioner for her support.

3) Over the top volunteer recruiting for PR Water Monitoring Day: From a 1,000 volunteer goal, we reached over 2,300 inscriptions for the April 30, 2011 activity. Kudos to Gladys Rivera and all the coordinators and captains helping all over the island with the activity.

4) Key newspaper article on the importance of the San Juan Bay Estuary ecosystem: Dr. Jorge Bauzá, as part of his collaboration with the Science column of the El Nuevo Día newspaper, published a 2-page, full-color article on the importance of the estuary to the city and to the island, on Sunday, April 3, 2011.

5) Littering poll on the way: University students taking the City and Ecology course will soon conduct a poll in the SJBE’s watershed. The poll will measure behavior and attitudes towards littering in our estuarine and urban context. The poll is already designed and students will begin polling this week. This will be one of a very few littering polls conducted to date on the island.

6) Full attendance at the Estuary’s Cinema: As we approach the second anniversary of this special project, we screened another movie at the Condado Lagoon Park on Saturday, April 4, 2011. On this occasion we presented our educational documentaries and the feature movie for children “Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccURwir7C_o

7) Condado Lagoon Benthic Restoration Update: a) The biological / benthic survey report has been completed and we are going through internal QA/QC. We expect to have a draft ready for circulation next week. b) The results for the sediment samples have been received and the findings are being documented in the report. c) The data has also undergone thorough QA/QC and there have been no surprises. Our qualitative preliminary report is that we are finding what we expected, where we expected it. Quantitative reports will be published by next week. d) We are working on a draft of the Public Involvement Report. e) We are preparing an incremental volume/area table for the lagoon to assess each pit and potentially assess ROM costs.

8) Red mangrove planting on the Condado Lagoon: On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, Dr. Jorge Bauzá planted mangrove seedlings with Saint John’s School students in an educational activity at the Condado Lagoon Park. This is part of our ongoing Red mangrove restoration initiative in the estuarine ecosystem.

9) This month our Water Quality Monitoring Program took place as follows: Wednesday, March 23, 2011: La Malaria Canal, La Esperanza, Juan Méndez Creek, and the Piñones Lagoon; Thursday, March 24, 2011: San José Lagoon Stations; Friday, March 25, 2011: San Juan Bay Stations; Tuesday, March 29, 2011: all stations of the Río Piedras (river).

We thank the following volunteers for their collaboration during the March 2011 monitoring events: Yanitza Hernández from the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Public Health; Berliz Morales from Seagrant-UPR; José Pagán from the Inter American University; Terry Hernández from the Caribbean University; and our Program Manager from EPA, Evelyn Huertas.

10) Estuarine Comic Books Workshops on Stormwater Pollution Prevention: We have a very enthusiastic group of junior high and high school students participating in our workshop. On Saturday, March 26, 2011, the students took a guided boat tour with Gladys Rivera and Ernesto Olivares to take photos and experience the ecosystem in order to begin developing a draft plot for the comic. Last Saturday, April 2, 2011, participants began the workshop in the beautiful facilities of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico. A total of 13 students (6 and 7 from each level) are taking the workshop, and most of them are active members of the Estuary Guardians School Water Monitoring Project. The facilitator and guide of the creative process is graphic artist José Luis Vargas.

11) Key meeting with one of Capetillo’s community leaders; New riparian community garden planned: Javier Laureano met with Damaris Estrada, from the Victoria Housing Project in Capetillo, to coordinate the first phase of the creation of a riparian community garden on one of the fringes of the Juan Méndez creek. Laureano facilitated the pick-up of bulky waste in the area thanks to the collaboration of the San Juan Municipality. Other topics covered were the illegal disposition of oil and grease in the creek, as well as paint from an adjacent body shop, among other contaminants currently dumped in the water that flows into the San José Lagoon. The meeting took place in Friday, April 1, 2011.

SAVE THE DATE:

April 9, 2011- Estuary's Cinema at the Condado Lagoon Park, 7:00pm, we will be presenting a documentary on the stray dogs situation in Puerto Rico named "Los 100,000".

April 30, 2011: Puerto Rico Water Quality Monitoring Day

Dunes restoration; International Water Day; Another victory over light contamination

Pictures: students from the "City and Ecology" course in a guided tour of the ecosystem; Capetillo community will be able to sell their Capetillo Vegetable Garden products at Plaza las Américas Kiehl's store; Light contamination at La Concha hotel; "Addicts in Rehabilitation" Program helping restore Piñone's dunes.

Our update for March 15, 2011 to March 25, 2011 is as follows:

San Juan Bay Estuary participates in International Water Day: Gladys Rivera, with our Estuary Guardian teacher Yiria Muñiz and her students, were profiled by a local newspaper as they were celebrating World Water Day. This year’s theme was “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge.” Both Gladys and Yiria were interviewed as they were performing water quality analysis in the Condado Lagoon. They emphasized the importance of this activity for the improvement of the San Juan Bay Estuary. To view the article at El Nuevo Día newspaper, please follow this link:

http://www.elnuevodia.com/alcuidadodelaguanuestradecadadia-921866.html

Javier Laureano profiled in El Vocero Who’s Who: El Vocero, one of the leading newspapers on the island, published a full-page interview with Javier Laureano in its Sunday edition on March 20, 2011. The Executive Director emphasized the Condado Lagoon restoration, as well as voluntary contributions through tax returns before April 15, 2011.

Dunes restoration project begun: Sand dunes are unique ecosystems and provide the first protective barrier against storms, tsunamis, and coastal flooding. Puerto Rico has lost 90% of its northern dunes due to natural as well as human activities, such as using the dunes’ sand for construction. Only in 1968 did the government prohibit coastal and dune sand extraction, when almost all the dunes were gone. On Friday, March 25, 2011, from 8:30am to noon, participants from the Drug Court’s “Addicts in Rehabilitation” joined the Department and Natural Resources and the San Juan Bay Estuary Program in the first phase of the dunes restoration project in Piñones, one of the last dunes to survive Puerto Rico’s coastal sand extraction for construction. The activity was covered by El Nuevo Día newspaper (including video):

http://www.elnuevodia.com/aestabilizarlasdunasdepinones-923817.html

Kiehl’s joins us to promote several projects, including CAUCE’s Capetillo Community Vegetable Garden: L’Oreal Paris and its brand Kiehl’s announced on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, their commitment to the San Juan Bay Estuary Program. Beginning on April 6, L’Oreal will sell agricultural products from the Capetillo Vegetable Garden in its Kiehl’s store in the Plaza las Américas mall. On June 5, 2011, the company is organizing the Annual La Esparanza Cleanup and Planting in the San Juan Bay with us, and will sponsor the screening of Antonio Martorell’s documentary at Cine del Estuario. The Kiehl’s store is also promoting the enrollment of volunteers in our Program as well as donations through tax returns.

Estuary Guardians participant wins First Prize, now headed to San Diego, California: On March 18, 2011, Estuary Guardian Program participant Laura Roldán received the first prize for her Project entitled "New Treatment System for Runoff Water Using Natural Filters and Biomass Remnants." The National competition will be held in San Diego next April. In the local competition, two of the six finalists were students who adopted the SJBE as their laboratory motivated by our work with the Estuary Guardians Program. They will also be competing in the Discovery H2O competition on April 14. Congratulations to Laura and to Yiria Muñiz, teacher from the José Aponte de la Torre Specialized school in Carolina and Estuary Guardian Leader.

Condado Lagoon Restoration Outreach Meeting: Stakeholders and residents of the Condado Lagoon met at the SJBEP’s office for a presentation and discussion of all the restoration projects proposed and implemented for the Condado Lagoon. The following entities attended the meeting: (1) Condado Renace Inc, (2) CONVIVE, (3) the PR Tourist Company, and (4) Tetra Tech Consulting. The SJBEP staff discussed the benthic and seagrass restoration proposed for the Condado Lagoon and other ongoing projects, including Red mangrove planting, artificial reef deployments, and storm water management.

Open Brown Bag Workshop in the SJBE office: On Wednesday, March 23, during lunch time, Dr. Jorge Bauzá-Ortega presented a workshop about ‘unknown creatures’ of the San Juan Bay Estuary system. Information about the natural history of native and exotic species was discussed, as well as the conservation efforts made by the SJBEP and its partners for the preservation and restoration of critical habitats identified in the San Juan Bay estuary.

US Army Corps of Engineers from the Jacksonville District Planning Division meets with the SJBE staff regarding the Condado Lagoon restoration: Iván Acosta and Wilberto Cubero, from the USACE Jacksonville District Planning Division, discussed with the SJBE staff and Fernando Pagés from Tetra Tech the possibility of integrating the water quality improvement and seagrass restoration project at the Condado Lagoon into the San Juan Harbor compensatory mitigation. The general concept is to dredge and deposit the sediments from La Esperanza Peninsula into the Condado Lagoon with the support and overall lead from the Army Corps and its contractors. The meeting took place in March 18, 2011.

Another victory over coastal light contamination in the Condado area: This week Javier Laureano sent documentation of a severe case of light contamination from La Concha Hotel to executives of the hotel and the PR Tourism Company. La Concha told Laureano they will take action immediately to reduce or eliminate three very powerful light bulbs illuminating up to half a mile into the Atlantic Ocean and the Condado coastal area.

ENLACE Project makes the case for Martín Peña dredging: Believe it or not, there is a small sector of the population opposed to the filling of the San José Lagoon’s artificial depressions and the dredging of the Martín Peña Channel. The ENLACE Project went to the media to make the case in favor of this key project for the restoration of the San Juan Bay Estuary. There was an error in one of the quotes in the newspaper article, depicting the San Jose Lagoon as “dead” – with only bacterial life – when in fact only the bottoms of the artificial depressions in the Lagoon are in this condition. Please follow this link to read the article:

http://www.primerahora.com/urgemejorarecologiadelalagunasanjose-485609.html

SAVE THE DATE

APRIL 30, 2011- PUERTO RICO WATER MONITORING DAY

FOR MORE ACTIVITIES VISIT: estuario.org

Condado Lagoon Restoration/ Estuarine Indicators/ CMP Feasibility Study/ Bicycle Tour

Pictures: Benthic maps of the Condado Lagoon and Estuary Cinema sponsoring Isla Film's screening at Vieques island.

Our weekly update for March 6, 2011 to March 13, 2011 is as follow:

1) Condado Lagoon Seagrass and Water Quality Restoration Studies Update: The following constitutes the current status of this key activity: a) The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was completed and submitted to EPA for final signatures on February 24^th, 2011; b) The Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan was completed and submitted for review and comments February 25^th, 2011; c) The MultiBeam SideScan Sonar Survey was completed March 3^rd, 2011. The sediment volume calculations needed to fill the depression are being calculated; d) The Benthic Survey was completed March 5^th, 2011. The Benthic Survey Report is currently being prepared, and a draft document is scheduled to be completed by March 25^th, 2011; e) Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan implementation was completed March 7^th, 2011. Samples were sent to the lab, and results are expected by March 25^th, 2011; f) Many underwater photographs and videos were obtained during fieldwork. This information is available on the project’s FTP site; g) As expected, shallow areas near bridges on the western end of lagoon exhibited the healthiest benthic communities. The dredged areas are very clearly defined by the MBSS surveys. Areas deeper than 17 ft mean lower low water (mllw) level did not reveal benthic diversity. Sediments in deeper depressions appeared to be very fine, dark grey, organic, and anoxic. Fine sediment thickness was estimated to be at least 24 inches; h) Sediments at La Esperanza peninsula appear to be medium grain-size yellow sand, typical of high-energy environments.

2) QAPP Approved by EPA for Another Set of Estuarine Environmental Indicators: More than a goal, having a set of environmental indicators is a milestone for our organization. These indicators will measure the health of our estuary’s ecosystem. Last week, EPA Region 2 approved our logistics, scientific methods, and procedures to use fish tissue and sediment contaminants as environmental indicators for the San Juan Bay Estuary. We thank contractor Dr. Ernesto Otero for his extraordinary job during the process for obtaining this Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).

3) Martín Peña Channel Dredging Feasibility Study: On March 10, 2011, STAC President Ernesto Díaz, Scientific Advisor Jorge Bauzá, and Javier Laureano met with the ENLACE personnel and contractor to discuss the results of the study “Current Conditions and Potential Responses to Restoration of Historic Circulation.” This is part of the process required to access federal funding to complete the much-needed dredging of the Channel. Currently over 27,000 people are living in poverty and dire conditions, including flooding with raw sanitary sewage discharges. Disposal alternatives for the dredged material are being considered.

4) February 2011 Hits Record High in Media Leverage; Stormwater, Coral, and Climate Change Campaigns Highlighted: We recently received our monthly media report and are glad to announce that sums from February 2011 totaled $99,569.94. That amount includes TV interviews, placement of public service ads, and newspaper reports about our activities.

5) Estuary Cinema in Vieques: The San Juan Bay Estuary Program participated in a special activity on the municipal island of Vieques through its Estuary Cinema project. Isla Film representatives offered a talk on the Estuary and presented the organization’s documentaries as part of a larger activity on the island, which doesn’t have any traditional movie theaters.

6) 54% knowledge acquisition registered at Estuarine Bicycle Guided Tour: Javier E. Laureano offered a guided bicycle tour to members of the community. The route departed from the Condado Lagoon Park and went to Old San Juan, and took place last Saturday, March 12, 2011, from 9:00am to 11:30am. As part of the activity, Laureano offered a diagnostic test to evaluate knowledge acquisition. 46% of participants registered a perfect score, and 54% registered knowledge acquisition on the estuary and its ecosystems.

7) Full Attendance at Estuary Cinema Screening: An average of 300 people attended last Saturday’s screening at the Condado Lagoon Park. We presented the SJBEP’s educational documentaries as well as the movie “500 Days of Summer.”

8) Dr. Jorge Bauzá Maintains his Collaboration with the Science Section of El Nuevo Día Newspaper: As part of his collaboration with this key newspaper on the island, Dr. Bauzá published a full page, full color article entitled “The Puerto Rico Trench: The Deepest Point in the Atlantic Ocean.” The article was published on Friday, March 11, 2011. Please follow the link to view the full article:

http://www.elnuevodia.com/lomasprofundodelatlantico-911701.html

SAVE THE DATE

Brownbag Lunch Workshop: “Unknown Species that Inhabit our City” will be offered by Dr. Jorge Bauzá in the SJBEP’s office at 1225 Ponce de León Avenue, Office 902, from 12:00pm to 12:40pm on Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

Dune Stabilization Planting with Drug Court’s “Addicts in Rehabilitation Program”: The planting will take place in Piñones on Friday, March 25, 2011, from 8:00am to 11:30am.

EPA National Meeting/ Volunteer Participation Goal Reached/Mangrove planting/ Marsh planting

Pictures: Volunteers planting at the Cucharillas Marsh restoration site, and Girl Scouts' annual fair booth devoted to the San Juan Bay Estuary.

Our weekly update for February 26, 2011 to March 5, 2011 is as follows:

1) Meeting at EPA - Arlington, VA / Congressman Pierluisi: Javier Laureano and Dr. Jorge Bauzá represented the San Juan Bay Estuary Program at the annual meeting of the National Estuary Program in Arlington, VA, from March 1 - March 3, 2011. As part of the event they participated in the annual Coastal Celebration, where representatives from NOAA, EPA, and other coastal-related agencies and programs gathered at DC’s Botanical Garden. Another important highlight was our meeting with Jed Bullock, Senior Advisor to Congressman Pedro Pierluisi, and Chief of Staff Carmen Feliciano, to discuss their support for the National Estuary Program and the restoration of the Condado Lagoon.

2) Board of Directors meeting of the Association of the National Estuary Program (ANEP): The Board of Directors meeting took place on March 2, 2011. Among the items discussed were ANEP’s annual budget and activities, as well as the next meetings which will take place in Santa Monica Bay the week of October 17^th, where the Fall NEP Directors meeting will take place in conjunction with the Restore America’s Estuaries conference; Oct 20-24, 2012, in Tampa Bay; and, in 2013, our Fall NEP Tech Transfer meeting will take place in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

3) We reached over 1,500 volunteers for Puerto Rico Water Monitoring Day!: This week we confirmed over 1,500 participants for the celebration of Puerto Rico Water Monitoring Day, to take place on April 30th this year. The event began in 2009 with less than 30 volunteers. In 2010 it reached over 500 volunteers. Our goal for 2011 was to obtain 1,000 signers-on, and we surpassed it easily. We thank our Outreach Coordinator and local sponsors for their work.

4) Condado Lagoon’s volunteer-based Red mangrove restoration continues: Students from San Ignacio School and members of the Estuary Guardians project will continue the mangrove restoration process on the North side of the Condado Lagoon. This is part of a collaborative agreement with the San Ignacio School, an institution known for providing opportunities to its students in environmental and community-related activities. The students received an orientation and visited the site with Gladys Rivera and Jorge Bauzá from our Program. As part of their responsibilities for the project, the students will support planting events at the site.

5) Environmental Fair 2011, Girls Scouts: Last Saturday our organization sponsored the statewide fair at which two groups of Girls Scouts showcased their work. Our short movie "Guardianes del Estuario" was presented in one of the booths, complemented with an estuarine game created by the troop. Estuary educational materials and orientation were handed out to the leaders and general public during the event, that took place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Pedrín Zorilla Coliseum. We thank board member Carlos Fernández Lugo for serving as liaison with the Girl Scouts and Outreach Coordinator Gladys Rivera for offering talks on the Estuary during the day.

6) Our Estuary Guardians are participating in the restoration of a mangrove forest in the San Juan Bay: Last Saturday, Estuary Guardians from the Congregación MITA visited the Red mangrove restoration site at la Esperanza Peninsula to measure and evaluate the planting they performed last November. Mangroves have grown healthily and very fast. Students will prepare a presentation on the results of the project to share the data with our Program. This event, coordinated by G-Works, Corredor del Yaguazo, and the SJBEP, is part of other planting and environment-related activities of the Estuary Guardians students.

7) Planting at the Cucharillas Marsh: Over 40 Emajaguilla, White mangrove, and Pterocarpus Officinalis trees, among others, were planted by SJBE volunteers as part of the organization’s support for the restoration of the Cucharillas Marsh. We thank the students of the Caribbean University for their support of the activity.

8) Caribbean University joins the Puerto Rico Water Quality Monitoring Day events: Caribbean University’s four campuses around the island will join the Water Monitoring Day activities, as well as other SJBE activities including this Saturday’s planting event. Each campus will adopt four schools in their area to perform water quality monitoring. Dr. Pedro Robles, Dean at the Caribbean University, met with Gladys Rivera and Javier Laureano and expressed interest in a collaborative agreement with the SJBE.

9) Visit to the Capetillo riparian restoration site: The students of the university course offered by Javier Laureano visited the Capetillo Urban Forest and Vegetable Garden to experience and contribute to the project on March 2, 2011. We thank Dr. Germán Ramos for offering a guided tour to the students, as well as José Enrique Rodríguez for assisting Laureano on the activity.

SAVE THE DATE:

Estuarine Bicycle Tour: The Estuarine Bicycle Tour will depart from Jaime Benítez Park at the Condado Lagoon this Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 9:00am, for the ride to Old San Juan. Please, bring water in a reusable container, as well as all the protection needed for a safe urban bicycle ride, including sun block.

Rehabilitation of Guachinanga island; Special fund; SJ Ecological Corridor; New intern

Pictures: Guachinanga island is a unique karstic island surrounded by water in the San José Lagoon currently in peril due to sedimentation and aquatic debris.

Our weekly update for February 19 to February 25, 2011, is as follows:

1) Donation of $110,000 for water quality improvement project at the Guachinanga island in the San José Lagoon: The Executive Director of the Company for the Integral Development of the Cantera Peninsula, Dr. María Lourdes Rivera Grajales, yesterday pledged a donation to our organization of $110,000 for the removal of sediment and debris from the Guachinanga island. This is a very special project promoted by Cantera. Less than 2 acres in area, the Guachinanga Island – a beautiful karstic formation surrounded by water in the San José Lagoon – is habitat to some flora species which are unique in the world, known only to some parts of Puerto Rico. This will comprise part of our 2011-2012 matching funds for EPA’s annual grant.

2) Special fund hits new high: We are very pleased to inform you that the San Juan Bay Estuary’s Special Fund now has $83,356.00. We are in the final design phase of the billboard provided as public service in the Condado area to promote contributions from tax returns. The expected funding to be raised during this past first year was $50,000. We thank all donors for supporting the restoration of the San Juan Bay Estuary.

3) Plaza International Mall to adopt stormwater rain gardens and educational initiatives with the San Juan Bay Estuary Program: President Andrés Salas Soler and Executive Director Javier Laureano met with one of the main local investors of Plaza International Mall, Frank J. Trogolo, to discuss several projects that will be implemented as part of the design of the Mall. One key project is the creation of stormwater rain gardens in the parking lots of the commercial center (located just in front of the San José Lagoon), as well as educational exhibits on the San Juan Bay ecosystem.

4) Tracking system update: Our mission is to coordinate and further the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan of the San Juan Bay Estuary. As part of our work to fulfill our mission, Javier Laureano and José Enrique Rodríguez met with Erison Burgos, Acting Director of the Carolina Municipality’s Environmental Branch, to receive information on several actions the Carolina Municipality is taking to implement our CCMP. The information collected from this and other meetings will be published in our online Tracking System and the documents will be filed in our CCMP implementation archive. At the end of 2011 we plan to publish our first CCMP Implementation Report.

5) Heading next week to Washington, DC: Javier Laureano and Jorge Bauzá will attend EPA’s annual National Estuary Program Conference next week. This is the time for representatives from the 28 NEPs to share their goals and achievements with EPA representatives and establish their working objectives for the next Fiscal Year. One key meeting is set with the office of the Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner.

6) Update on the Condado Lagoon water quality improvement and seagrass restoration: Our contractors from TetraTech have been working in full force on the study and design of this key restoration project directed by the San Juan Bay Estuary Program. Drafts of the “Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan,” as well as the “Health and Safety Plan,” “Health, Safety, and Dive Plan,” and the “Quality Assurance Project Plan” were submitted to our office. Fieldwork to start the bathymetric survey, benthic survey, and sediment sampling will be performed from Feb 25th to March 7th. A meeting with Dr. Jorge Bauzá and key personnel working on the contract from TetraTech took place on February 25, 2011, at the SJBEP’s offices.

7) Another bill to amend San Juan Ecological Corridor’s Law: Community representatives informed our organization about another Senate bill that could affect the physical integrity of the 1,000 acres preserved under the San Juan Ecological Corridor’s Law 206 of August 28, 2003. Senate bill 1788 (PC 1788) intends to re-define the term “river margin” for the bodies of water of the Corridor. This is one of the largest green areas of the San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed.

8) Water Quality Monitoring: Ernesto Olivares completed this month’s monitoring with the stations at the Eastern axis of the mixing zone, including the San José/Corozos Lagoon, Torrecillas Lagoon, Blasina Canal, and Suárez Canal, as well as the Juan Méndez and San Antón creeks.

9) New graduate intern will be working on a Socio-Economic Profile of the San Juan Bay Estuary’s fishermen: We welcome graduate student Yanitza V. Hernández Santiago to our team. Hernández is currently completing a Masters degree in Environmental Health at the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus. She will be working a total of 210 hours in our Water Quality Monitoring Program and on a Socio-Economic Profile of the San Juan Bay Estuary’s fishermen as part of a required internship to complete her degree.

10) Successful “Plants and Trees To Touch Workshop”: On February 24, 2011, we had full attendance in our first workshop. Since 20 people are on a waiting list to take the workshop, we will offer it again. One special attendee was Jorge Carlos Trejo Torres, Project Director at SELVAKARST, the Research Company for the Karstic Forests, based in Yucatán, Mexico. We will be continuing our conversation and communication with Trejo Torres.

SAVE THE DATE:

February 26, 2011 at 9:00a m - Planting at the Cucharillas Marsh with our partner Corredor del Yaguazo.

February 26, 2011 at 7:00pm - Estuary's Cinema at the Jaime Benítez Park

“The Truth About Cats and Dogs”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBvwueGobMk

ASLO scientist on tech-transfer trips in the SJBE; One of our partners in Africa for manatees rehabilitation; CCMP Revision and Tracking System

Pictures: Jonathan Perez, from the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center (a partner of the San Juan Bay Estuary Program), is serving for two months on the ‘Manatus senegalensis’ rehabilitation project in Gabon, Africa; This week dozens of aquatic scientists took guided technical trips to the ecosystem.

Our weekly update for February 12-February 19, 2011 is as follows:

1) Aquatic scientists from around the world on technical trips to the San Juan Bay Estuary: As part of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Conference in Puerto Rico, dozens of aquatic scientists from around the world took guided technical trips to the eastern axis of the San Juan Bay Estuary. The scientists offered written comments on our restoration efforts and water quality improvement, and shared information on several issues, such as pathogens, sedimentation, erosion, and climate change. The trips were offered by a community-based ecotourism initiative called “Excursiones ECO” (“ECO Tours”), owned by a young woman, Melba Ayala. Ernesto Olivares and Jorge Bauzá coordinated the effort.

2) SJBEP at EPA’s Administrative and Environmental Law and Practice Training: Our coral reef restoration initiative’s video and a continuous Power-Point presentation during coffee breaks were presented during this key conference. EPA Region 2 Office of Regional Counsel, San Juan Office, and the Office of Administrative Law Judges from DC sponsored the conference. Among the participants were the Environmental Quality Board’s President as well as environmental lawyers and judges. We thank Evelyn Huertas and Héctor Vélez for showcasing the work we are doing during such an important occasion.

3) Meeting with ENLACE representatives: As part of our CCMP revision and an update to our Tracking System, Javier Laureano and José Enrique Rodríguez from the SJBEP met with Lyvia Rodríguez and Katia Avilés from ENLACE. This was a very productive meeting, at which ENLACE representatives offered an update of their CCMP implementation process and emphasized the importance of including new public health, economic development, and environmental justice actions in our CCMP revision process. The meeting took place at ENLACE on February 17, 2011.

4) Community scare on the San Juan Ecological Corridor: Community representatives have been calling our office to inform us of a new bill (PS 1919) that, according to the representatives, could dismantle this 1,000-acres nature reserve in the heart of the san Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed. Next week we will be asking our stakeholders for more information about this issue.

5) Meeting with Cantera community representatives: As part of our next year’s Work Plan and Tracking System update, Javier Laureano and José Enrique Rodríguez met with Cantera community representatives to discuss the CCMP actions they have been implementing, as well as the new initiative that will begin during FY 2011. We began a conversation on the dredging of the Guachinanga island channel to improve water quality on the eastern axis of the San José Lagoon, and obtained access to valuable CCMP implementation reports and pictures.

6) Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA) contributes to the SJBEP’s CCMP update and Tracking System: Brenda González and José Estrella from SWMA offered key information on their pollution prevention and oil and tire recycling projects within the San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed. The meeting took place at SWMA on February 16, 2011.

7) Total promotional success for our “Trees and Plants to Touch Workshop”: The first of a new series of workshops offered by the San Juan Bay Estuary Program reached its total capacity on the first day of its announcement. We are completing a waiting list to offer it on an additional date. Our “Trees and Plants to Touch Workshop” will follow a ‘brown bag lunch’ format taking place on February 24, 2011, at our office, from 12:10pm to 12:40pm.

8) PRASA’s Martha Rivera has retired!: Our friend, colleague and member of our Board of Directors, Martha Rivera, retired from the Puerto Rico Sewer and Aqueduct Authority. We wish her a very productive and happy “retirement.” (Got you, Martha! We know you are already working with several environmental initiatives all over the island and throughout Latin America. And we know we will see you very soon!)

9) Our partner on manatee rehabilitation reports from Gabon, Africa: Jonathan Perez, a graduate student who works at the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center, is currently serving for two months on the ‘Manatus senegalensis’ rehabilitation project in Gabon, Africa, as part of the Center’s international cooperation initiatives on manatee conservation and rehabilitation. We congratulate our dear partner Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, PhD, for the wonderful work he’s doing at the Center. Enjoy the beautiful photos from Gabon.

SAVE THE DATE:

February 21-23, 2011- Monitoring events for certified volunteers. Call for info. at 787 725 8165 or write an email to monitoreo@estuario.org

February 24, 2011 at 12:10pm- Plants at Trees to Touch Workshop- 1225 Ponce de León Avenue, Office 902, San Juan- FULL- Currently completing a waiting list to offer the workshop on another date-.

February 26, 2011 at 9:00am- Planting at the Cucharillas Marsh with our partner Corredor del Yaguazo.

February 26, 2011 at 7:00pm- Estuary's Cinema at the Jaime Benítez Park:

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBvwueGobMk