Rincón Students Study the Changing Coastline

On May 18th, students from the Manuel García Pérez Highschool presented the results of their studies on Rincón's changing coastlines. During the last school semester and with help and support from CIEL and SeaGrant, the students studied historical changes in the coastline. In addition to visiting the different beaches, students interviewed local residents. The results were presented to a group that included Mayor Carlos López that assembled at the Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Rincón who commented that the students' findings paralleled those of the USGS.

Learn more about the project and the presentation at CIEL's blog.

Memorias de la Costa

por: Carlos J. Carrero Morales

El martes 18 de mayo de 2009 en la noche, un grupo de estudiantes de la Escuela Superior Manuel García Pérez de Rincón, se dieron cita en el salón de actividades de la Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Rincón para informarle a la comunidad de este pueblo las diversas transformaciones de la costa de Rincón en los últimos años.

Como parte de un programa de integración curricular de los cursos de Investigación Científica e Historia de Puerto Rico y con el apoyo del Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios del Litoral (CIEL) y el Programa Sea Grant, los estudiantes estuvieron durante el pasado semestre realizando una investigación sobre los cambios en la costa de Rincón titulado Historia y Condiciones de las Playas y Costas de Rincón.

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Aquatic Art Workshop was a Success!

en español

Everyone had a great time and had an opportunity to show off their artistic talents during the art workshop

Thirty-nine vibrant paintings were completed on the second day of the Aquatic Art workshop offered March 28 at the Jorge Seda Crespo Middle School in Rincón. The young painters also worked on 2 collective canvases and on a giant 70" x 30" coral reef drawing designed by Wess Merten.

At the moment we are creating an "Aquatic Art" coral reef lesson book illustrated with the 39 student paintings done in both workshops. The book will soon be going off to the printer to later be handed out to the students on June 25th (from 7-9 pm) when we will inaugurate the awaited "Aquatic Art" exhibit at the Rincón of the Seas Hotel. We'll keep you informed...

This project sponsored by NOAA's Marine Debris Program is the educational component of the ambitious community driven program "Coral Reef Protection through Marine Debris Removal at Reserva Marina Tres Palmas", where more than 475 tires have been removed, among other debris.

Many thanks to: Nicole Hoover, Wess Merten, Patchouly Banks, Oliver Bencosme, photography by Producciones Burracas, Cuqui González, Alex Henriques, Miriam Pérez, Miriam Juan, Leon Richter, Allison Jones, Freyda Zell, Bermie Ruiz

- AB

¡UN ÉXITO el TALLER de ARTE ACUÁTICO!

English Version

Todos se divirtieron mucho y demostraron su gran talento artístico en el taller de arte.

Trentainueve vibrantes pinturas fueron completadas en la segunda sección del taller de Arte Acuático que se ofreció el sábado 28 de marzo en la Escuela Intermedia Jorge Seda Crespo de Rincón. Los jóvenes pintores además trabajaron en 2 pinturas colectivas y en un dibujo gigante de un arrecife de 70" x 30" el cual Wess Merten realizó a lápiz.

En el momento estamos creando un libro de Arte Acuático con lecciones de corales e ilustrado con las 39 pinturas realizadas por los estudiantes durante ambos talleres. Pronto éste libro se irá a la imprenta para luego ser entregado a los estudiantes el 25 de junio (de 7-9 pm) cuando inauguremos la tan esperada exhibición de "Arte Acuático" en el Hotel Rincón of the Seas. Te mantendremos informado...

Este proyecto auspiciado por NOAA Marine Debris Program es el componente educativo del ambicioso programa de autogestión comunitaria" “Protección de los Arrecifes de Coral a través de Eliminación de Desechos Marinos en la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas” el cual ha logrado extraer más de 475 gomas de la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas en los últimos 2 años, entre otros desperdicios.

Muchas gracias a: Nicole Hoover, Wess Merten, Patchouly Banks, Oliver Bencosme, fotografía de Producciones Burracas, Cuqui González, Alex Henriques, Miriam Pérez, Miriam Juan, Leon Richter, Allison Jones, Freyda Zell, Bermie Ruiz

Students to Present a History of Rincón's Beaches

Como parte de los cursos de Investigación Científica e Historia de Puerto Rico, un grupo de estudiantes de la Escuela Superior Manuel García Pérez de Rincón estuvieron realizando un proyecto titulado: Historia y condiciones de las playas y costas de Rincón. Ahora los jóvenes están interesados en presentar a la comunidad de Rincón los resultados de este proyecto.

Esta investigación fue auspiciada por el Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios del Litoral de la Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Mayagüez.

Rincón Students Build Hydrophones - Can Record Sound Underwater!

On Thursday April 2, 2009, thirty 10th grade students from Brenda Cardona’s science classes at Manuel Garcia Perez High School in Rincón received a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience related to humpback whale research. Graduate student Patchouly Banks of SUNY Buffalo educated the students about the humpback whales that visit Rincón’s coast each winter. Patchouly is part of a team of researchers including Jennifer Schneider and Dr. Eduardo Mercado III who have been coming to Rincón, PR for the past four years to study the songs of the humpback whales. The SUNY team has worked closely with Surfrider on outreach and education during each of their visits.

Their main goal is to locate singing whales and record their songs in order to investigate song function.

In order to do so, they use underwater microphones, called hydrophones. In an effort to make their research more "relatable" to the community, Patchouly taught the students how to build their own simple hydrophones, made from household items, including pennies and balloons. After constructing their hydrophones, the students placed them into buckets of water and listened through headphones to a variety of underwater sounds. The students also heard samples of recordings that the researchers have made here in Rincón, including snapping shrimp, fish, boat noise, and of course humpback whale song! The students really seemed to enjoy building their hydrophones, but they had the most fun using them to listen to the sounds they created in their buckets, including a crackling candy to simulate the sound of snapping shrimp!

Hopefully the students will take away a better understanding of the research that this team carries out here in Rincón, as well as a greater appreciation for the humpback whales.

Patchouly would like to thank Brenda Cardona for her interest and willingness to get her students involved in this project, as well as Annette Blasini of the Rincón Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation for all of her help coordinating and translating! And a big thank you to all of the enthusiastic students! This project was made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation.

For more info, Patchouly can be reached at pnbanks@buffalo.edu

Salva Tres Palmas - The Film in the Plaza

A few hundred Rincoeños enjoyed a free screening of Salva Tres Palmas
in Rincón's town plaza on the final night of the 2009 Rincón International Film Festival.

STP screening in Rincón's town plaza with the church in the background.

Salva Tres Palmas tells the story of the environmental victory that gave life to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, the first marine reserve on the main island of Puerto Rico. Tres Palmas has earned a global reputation for its "giant" surfing waves and for possessing one of the healthiest Elkhorn coral reef colonies throughout the Caribbean.

If you missed the screening, you can watch the film on-line in English here or in Spanish below.

Salva Tres Palmas - The Film from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

Salva Tres Palmas - en Espanol from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.