Científicos Reafirman Valor del Corredor Ecológico del Noreste

Científicos Reafirman Valor del Corredor Ecológico del Noreste

Lunes, 14 de diciembre de 2009

Fajardo – Sobre 50 investigadores, profesores y estudiantes de ciencias marinas y biología se dieron cita el pasado fin de semana al Corredor Ecológico del Noreste (CEN) para realizar un inventario de las especies que allí habitan. Los investigadores, quienes se concentraron en los ecosistemas terrestres y marinos en la mitad este del Corredor, dieron con la ubicación de sobre 15 colonias del coral cuerno de alce (Acropora palmata), amenazado de extinción, así como con 5 especies terrestres que no habían sido observadas anteriormente en el área.

“A los más de 15 biólogos marinos que participamos de este esfuerzo nos impresionó la estructura arrecifal y la diversidad de especies, tanto de coral como de otros organismos halladas en el Corredor. De hecho, tuvimos la oportunidad de avistar un individuo de carey (Eretmochelys imbricata), especie de tortuga marina en peligro de extinción, y que depende estrechamente de las comunidades de coral,“ informó Stacy Williams, candidata doctoral del Departamento de Ciencias Marinas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR) en Mayagüez, quien coordinó la fase marina del inventario.

Esta añadió que documentaron también varias especies de peces, moluscos y crustáceos de valor comercial, algunas de las cuales podrían utilizar las aguas del Corredor como refugio en sus primeras etapas de vida, para luego migrar a aguas más profundas en donde podrían ser capturados por pescadores de la región.

Luis Jorge Rivera Herrera, planificador y científico ambiental de Iniciativa para un Desarrollo Sustentable (IDS), organización afiliada a la Coalición Pro Corredor Ecológico del Noreste, señaló por su parte que “las observaciones y datos obtenidos a través del inventario biológico confirman el gran valor ecológico del Corredor, según estudios realizados previamente por agencias federales y estatales, entre otros, en los cuales se documentaron sobre 850 especies de flora y fauna, así como 54 consideradas críticas por el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA). A su vez, demuestra la necesidad de proteger la integridad del Corredor y con ello, la validez de conservar su delimitación original como reserva natural, contrario a lo que ha pretendido hacer la administración del Gobernador Luis Fortuño a través del Secretario del DRNA y el Presidente de la Junta de Planificación.”

El inventario biológico contó con la participación de investigadores provenientes de los recintos de Bayamón, Humacao, Mayagüez, Carolina y Río Piedras de la UPR, así como de la Universidad Metropolitana en Cupey, la Sociedad de Ambiente Marino, el Programa Sea Grant de la UPR, y varios capítulos de la organización estudiantil de la Sociedad Ecológica de América (“SEEDS”, por sus siglas en inglés). Según se informó, estos continuaran los trabajos en enero de 2010.

El Corredor Ecológico del Noreste ha sido reconocido por agencias y organizaciones conservacionistas internacionales como una de las de mayor valor natural en Puerto Rico y el Caribe. Su protección como reserva natural, junto a su desarrollo ecoturístico, ha sido apoyada por numerosas entidades como el Servicio Forestal Federal, el Servicio Federal de Pesca y Vida Silvestre, el Fideicomiso de Conservación, la Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Planificación y la Coalición Ecuménica e Interreligiosa, entre otras, así como miembros de la comunidad científica de la Isla, grupos comunitarios, organizaciones conservacionistas internacionales, representantes de la comunidad puertorriqueña en EE.UU. y personalidades como los actores Benicio del Toro, Edward James Olmos, entre otros. En un hecho inusual, este esfuerzo contó también con el apoyo tripartita de la mayoría de los miembros de la Legislatura durante el pasado cuatrienio.

Contactos:
Camilla Feibelman (Sierra Club): (787) 688-6214
Luis Jorge Rivera Herrera (IDS): (787) 460-8315

Camilla Feibelman
Sierra Club de Puerto Rico
PO Box 21552 SJ, PR 00931-1552
787.688.6214
camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org
www.puertorico.sierraclub.org

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~John Muir

Does this story sound familiar?

Dominican Town Explores Ecotourism

In the Dominican Republic, a small town long troubled by poverty is fighting to hold onto its beaches and transform them into a low-key, environmentally sustainable tourist destination.

The goal is a tourism economy, but not typically Caribbean all-inclusive “high volume, low cost, keep churning the people through” tourism, said Donald J. Melnick, a conservation biologist who is co-director of the Columbia center.

Dr. Melnick said participants envisioned small-scale, low-impact ecotourism that would sustain the environment rather than degrade it. And, as much as possible, the environment will stay in local hands.

Read the story and check out the video from the New York Times

Miniature Robots to Swarm the Oceans

By LiveScience Staff

posted: 10 November 2009 01:08 pm ET

Swarms of soup-can-sized robots will soon plunge into the ocean seeking data on poorly understood phenomena from currents to biology.

With $2.5 million in new funding from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will create and deploy fleets of autonomous underwater explorers (AUEs) to explore the depths. Tens or hundreds of pint-sized robots would be deployed along with one the size of a soccer ball, in setups repeated wherever they are needed.

"AUEs will give us information to figure out how small organisms survive, how they move in the ocean, and the physical dynamics they experience as they get around," said Scripps researcher Peter Franks. "AUEs should improve ocean models and allow us to do a better job of following 'the weather and climate of the ocean,' as well as help us understand things like carbon fluxes."

Researchers have some pretty good data on the ocean as a whole, but many localized phenomena are not well understood.

By defining localized currents, temperature, salinity, pressure and biological properties, AUEs will offer new and valuable information about a range of ocean phenomena, according to an NSF statement released today. The 'bot swarms will aid in obtaining information needed for developing marine protected areas, determining critical nursery habitats for fish and other animals, tracking harmful algae blooms, and monitoring oil spills.

For marine protected areas, AUEs will help inform debates about the best areas for habitat protection. With harmful algal blooms and oil spills, the instruments can be deployed directly into outbreak patches to gauge how they develop and change over time. In the case of an airplane crash over the ocean, AUEs should be able to track currents to determine where among the wreckage a black box may be located.

"AUEs will fill in gaps between existing marine technologies," said Scripps researcher Jules Jaffe. "They will provide a whole new kind of information."

Franks, who conducts research on marine phytoplankton, says that "plankton are somewhat like the balloons of the ocean floating around out there. With AUEs, we're trying to figure out how the ocean works at scales that matter to plankton.

"If we place 100 AUEs in the ocean and let them go, we'll be able to look at how they move to get a sense of the physics driving current flows."

During the pilot phase of the project, Jaffe and colleagues will build five to six of the soccer-ball-sized explorers and 20 of the smaller versions. An outreach component of the project will enlist school children in building and ultimately deploying AUEs.

Part 2; Coastal Restoration between Marias and Indicators

This past weekend 10 volunteers helped plant 20 trees that included 4 mahoganies, 12 coconut palms, and 8 washingtonia palms, along with 60 'sea lettuce' plants in an area between Playa Marias and Indicators. This work is a part of our 'Sea to Summit' campaign working towards watershed protection. Check out the slideshow of the event below.



Special thanks go out to HC Wooden Pallets Inc. for lettings us use your truck and countless bags of mulch to help in our coastal restoration project as well as the dedicated volunteers for working hard in the hot sun.

Marias Parking Lot Gets a Face Lift

Recently, the chapter of the Surfrider Foundation in Rincon noticed a break between swells and rainfall evetns and took advantage of this opportunity to pay to have tosque delivered to marias to fix the parking lot. Watch the slideshow below to see the before, during and after images of this work. A special thanks to the Municipality of Rincon for helping to properly set the tosque in the parking lot.



During the next break in the string of swells we have lined up for ourselves we will finish what we started. For questions, comments, or suggestions please contact the chapter at salvatrespalmas@yahoo.com, or salvatrespalmas@surfrider.org.

Help Protect the Northeast Corridor

¡TinglArte en Defensa del Corredor Ecológico del Noreste!



Trae a tu familia y amigos,

aprende sobre el Corredor y los tinglares,

prepara tu petición al gobernador…

para luego caminar a Fortaleza


Sábado, 7 de noviembre, 1:00pm



Plaza de Armas, Viejo San Juan

(frente a la Alcaldía de San Juan)



Coalicion Pro Corredor Ecológico del Noreste

PO Box 21552 SJ, PR 00931-1552

787.688.6214

camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club Puerto Rico

Part 1 of 2; Tree and Shrub Planting Between Marias and Indicators

This past weekend more than 20 volunteers came out to help plant shrubs and trees around the coastal area of Playa Marias. This initiative is a part of our "Sea to Summit" campaign working towards habitat and coastal restoration. Check out the video slideshow below.



Part two of this series will take place on Saturday November 7th from 8 am to noon. We will meet between Marias and Indicators.



A special thanks to Jim Westfall for providing the art.


This work is being done in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources, the Municipality of Rincon, and HC Wooden Pallets, Inc. We would like to thank them for their generosity in helping in this effort.

Please bring yard tools: shovels, rakes, machetes, and weed wackers. Water will be provided.

Part 1 of 2; Tree and Shrub Planting Between Marias and Indicators

This Saturday, October 24th, at 9am at Playa Marias.

Surfrider Foundation Rincon in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources, the Municipality of Rincon, and HC Wooden Pallets, Inc. will be planting shrubs and trees from Playa Marias to Indicators. The event will begin at 9 am at Playa Marias. Please bring yard tools: shovels, rakes, machetes, and weed wackers. Water will be provided.



A special thanks to Jim Westfall for providing the art.

The second part of this series will take place on Saturday November 7th. This initiative is a part of our "Sea to Summit" campaign working towards habitat restoration.

Part 1 of 2; 12 new Trash Barrels from Domes to Steps

Below is a slideshow from last Saturday's work installing 12 trash cans from Domes to Steps. Twelve more will be installed in the near future: 4 at the Black Eagle Marina, 2 at Corcega beach (site to be determined), 4 at Parking lots, and 2 more to be determined. If you have a suggestion on an area please let us know. Contact us at salvatrespalmas@surfrider.org




This work is a part of our "Sea to Summit" campaign. The materials were funded by Surf 787 Surf School and Surfrider Foundation Rincon.

EcoRock at UPRM

October 22nd, 2009 at UPRM at 7 pm click here for an overview of the event

On October 24th, 2009, people all around the world will be gathering together to raise awareness about lowering the present amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from 387 parts per million (ppm) to 350 ppm to insure a safer climate for the world. Below is a video about this mission.



On October 22nd, Campus Verde from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez will be holding an event called EcoRock. This event is being done to promote the International Day of Climate Action (October 24th)to raise awareness about was to reduce your carbon footprint and help lower the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Below is some text taken from 350.org.

What does the number 350 mean?

350 is the most important number in the world—it's what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million.

Everyone from Al Gore to the U.N.’s top climate scientist has now embraced this goal as necessary for stabilizing the planet and preventing complete disaster. Now the trick is getting our leaders to pay attention and craft policies that will put the world on track to get to 350.
Is 350 scientifically possible?

Right now, mostly because we’ve burned so much fossil fuel, the atmospheric concentration of co2 is 390 ppm—that’s way too high, and it’s why ice is melting, drought is spreading, forests are dying. To bring that number down, the first task is to stop putting more carbon into the atmosphere. That means a very fast transition to sun and wind and other renewable forms of power. If we can stop pouring more carbon into the atmosphere, then forests and oceans will slowly suck some of it out of the air and return us to safe levels.
Is 350 politically possible?

It’s very hard. It means switching off fossil fuel much more quickly than governments and corporations have been planning. Our best chance to speed up that process will come in December in Copenhagen, when the world’s nations meet to agree on a new climate treaty. Right now, they’re not planning to do enough. But we can change that—if we mobilize the world to swift and bold climate action, which is what we're planning to do on October 24th.

"The Edge of the Sea" film

"The Edge of The Sea" is a 26 minute documentary film that tells of a group of fishermen and their fight to stop a mega development that would privatize one of the last untouched beaches in the west coast of Puerto Rico. Check out the trailer below.

Produced and Directed by Maria Jose Calderon

Camera and Sound: Molly Snyder-Fink

Music by Melvin López, "Mijo de la Palma"

Production Assistant: Oliver Bencosme

Installation of New Trash Barrels

Part I: 12 new trash barrels from Domes to Steps

As part of an initiative of our "Sea to Summit" campaign Surfrider Foundation Rincon will be working with local community activists and members to install 12 new trash barrels from Domes to Steps. The materials were funded by Surf 787 Surf School and Surfrider Foundation Rincon. This is the first part of a two part series. This coming weekend, October 10th 2009, anyone who wishes to help in the installation of 12 trash barrels needs to meet at Playa Domes at 8am.

We need people to drive to other sites so we can simultaneously install the barrels and complete the work in less time. Types of tools that we need volunteers to bring include: Cordless power drill with various large drill bits, post hole diggers, 5 gallon bucket for mixing cement, cameras, sunblock, water, and shovels.

Below is an image of where the first 12 trash barrels will be installed. DRNA Aquadilla gave us permission to do this work.


Below is an example of what they will look like with an estimation of the scale.


This work is support by the Municipality of Rincon

9 Ways We Can Save the Ocean, and Save Ourselves

After all, it covers three-quarters of the planet...

By Mickey Z.
Astoria, NY, USA | Thu Jul 16 17:29:00 GMT 2009

Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, and a man who knew a thing or two about oceans, once said: "If we kill everything in the ocean, and if we pollute the ocean to a point where it can't sustain life, we're committing suicide." Perhaps the most important aspect of Benchley's warning is his use of the word "we." Over 40% of the world's oceans are heavily impacted by human activities with few areas—if any—left unaffected by anthropogenic factors. This means we humans—and what we deem civilization—have played a major role in the despoiling of the earth's oceans. It's not some unstoppable force of nature or preordained theology that 90% of the large fish are gone or that the world's worst polluter is the U.S. Department of Defense. Human decisions have led us to where we are now and new human decisions are needed to forge a new, more logical and compassionate path. After all, the health of the ocean reflects the health of the planet. David McNew/Getty Images

Did you know that 80% of all life on Earth is found in the oceans and those same maltreated oceans provide vital sources of protein, energy, and minerals? To that, the folks at Greenpeace add: "The rolling of the sea across the planet creates over half our oxygen, drives weather systems and natural flows of energy and nutrients around the world, transports water masses many times greater than all the rivers on land combined, and keeps the Earth habitable. Without the global ocean there would be no life on Earth."

9 Ways We Can Save the Ocean, and Save Ourselves

1. Save the whales:

Since 5000 B.C., humans have seen fit to hunt these magnificent marine mammals. The results, predictably, have been disastrous for whales and the ocean. Greenpeace reports: "The blue whales of the Antarctic are at less than 1 percent of their original abundance, despite 40 years of complete protection.” Sure, the phrase "save the whales" may sound like punch line but unless we take action, this is no joke. Any creature as large as a whale plays a large role in the delicate balance of the ocean food chain. When that balance is upset, the impact hits us all. Whale eat zooplankton, zooplankton eat phytoplankton, phytoplankton remove carbon from the atmosphere, we have too much carbon in the atmosphere. If whales don't eat zooplankton (because they don't exist) we'll have overgrowth and lose our essential carbon cleaning phytoplankton. See how it's all connected?

2. Save the sharks, too:

As reported by the Humane Society International, between 50 and 100 million sharks are killed each year around the world. Many of these sharks are unintended "by-catch" by vessels fishing for high-value species such as swordfish and tuna, but every year, millions of sharks are increasingly a target for their fins. Sharks may not be the most lovable creature in the oceans, but they need our help. Without such top-of-food-chain predators the ocean's balance cannot exist.

3. Say no to drilling:

Among many other problems, offshore drilling results in a wide range of health and reproductive problems for fish and other marine life, exposes wildlife to the threat of oil spills, and destroys kelp beds, reefs, and coastal wetlands. Let's step up, folks, this is our fight, too.

4. Offer reef relief:

"Coral reefs are made predominantly of stony corals and supported by the limestone skeleton they excrete,” says Jennifer Horton of HowStuffWorks.com. "These rainforests of the sea are home to a quarter of all marine fish species. In addition to the variety of marine life they support, coral reefs are also immensely beneficial to humans, buffeting coastal regions from strong waves and storms, providing millions of people with food and jobs and prompting advances in modern medicine." All too predictably, human behavior is their biggest threat and 70 percent of coral reefs may be gone in less than 40 years if the present rate of destruction continues. To help conjure up solutions, educate yourself and get involved now.

5. Reduce your carbon footprint:

Yep, whether it's ocean acidification or disappearing kelp forest or sea level rise, climate change is a player and therefore all the same suggestions hold true. Until we lower our carbon footprint, real change is not possible.

6. No more plastic bottles:

The planet's largest landfill is floating in the North Pacific Ocean. Thanks to swirling ocean currents, much of the world's trash has accumulated into this part of the Pacific Ocean. How much trash? According to HowStuffWorks.com, every square mile of ocean hosts 46,000 pieces of floating plastic and plastic constitutes 90% of all trash floating in the world's oceans. Step one: Kick the plastic bottle habit.

7. Practice green surfing:

Surfing—unlike, say, motor boats and jet skis—requires the participant to commune with the ocean and trust its power. Even so, like everything else, it could be greener. Listen to the folks at GreenSurf.org: "Traveling to surf can produce a lot of CO2 emissions, and this is what's driving global warming, which spells big trouble for our ocean environments and surf spots." Their answer is the CarbonFree Surfing program, which allows you dudes and dudettes "to calculate the CO2 footprint of your next surf trip, and then to offset it's climate impact with an online donation (tax deductible) that supports the purchase of CO2 offsets, from climate-friendly projects like reforestation in Nicaragua or even clean power from renewable power projects." Perhaps the best place to learn about the green surfing movement is the Surfrider Foundation.

8. Be kind to your beach:

We humans love the beach but that doesn't mean we're always kind to the beach. Our indifference can result in beach erosion and widespread pollution. Don't litter, don't leave trash at the beach, don't use the beach as a toilet, and get involved in beach clean-up.

Erik Snyder/Getty Images

9. Cut back on fish, eat sustainable fish, or quit eating fish completely:

Overfishing is a huge component of the ocean's decline. Those opting for a vegan diet have already eliminated the justification for destructive practices like trawling. The equation couldn't be any simpler: if humans choose to not eat fish, or choose sustainable fish in moderate quantities, the ocean's fish population will have a chance to return. In addition, show some support for the Greenpeace plan to protect 40% of the world's oceans as Marine Reserves.

Photos of Limpieza Internacional de Costas 2009

Last week a group of more than 20 volunteers came out to clean Playa Marias as part of the International Coastal Cleanup day. The Playa Marias site was one of 6 being cleaned in Rincon, and one of hundreds being cleaned around Puerto Rico; The other sites around Rincon were Sandy Beach, Domes, Steps, the Balneario, and Barrio. All the volunteers enjoyed the time spent and effort put forth to help restore and maintain a better beach environment in Rincon. A feeling of gratification was evident knowing that at the same time volunteers all around the world were working simultaneously (more or less) to improve Earth's coastal habitats. Surfrider Foundation Rincon would like to thank Scuba Dogs for their continued passion towards beach and ocean conservation, the municipality of Rincon for their help, and all of the volunteers that made it truely possible. Thanks!

Un espacio para el periodismo ambiental

Por Mariam Ludim Rosa Vélez
mariamludim@uprm.edu
PRENSA RUM

Los periodistas ciudadanos ambientales

El Taller de Periodismo Con Ciencia agrupó a colegiales de los departamentos de Estudios Hispánicos, Inglés, Arte, Humanidades, Psicología, Biología, Ingeniería Química, Ciencias Marinas y Ciencias Sociales. Igualmente, participaron egresados del RUM y colaboradores de Sea Grant y del Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios del Litoral.

La graduación en el último brinco

Desde junio hasta septiembre, los participantes del taller tomaron los cursos que les permitieron lanzarse a un proyecto periodístico multimedios. Ya constituidos como un equipo de trabajo, a finales del mes de agosto, asumieron el reto de documentar periodísticamente una noticia ambiental.

Se trató de la limpieza del cuerpo de agua conocido como El último brinco en el sector Calvache de Rincón. “Es un área que tiene el potencial para ser desarrollado para ecoturismo, hay áreas verdes, un cuerpo de agua, distintas especies de aves, hay árboles que crean sombra para pasar el día, caminar, dispersión y ocio. Parte de nuestra experiencia allí, fue conocer esta área y al darnos cuenta que tiene este potencial y que hay personas que tienen el interés de que el lugar surja como una nueva área de recreación, nos dirigimos a hacer esta noticia”, explicó Oliver Bencosme, uno de los participantes del taller, quien labora como diseñador gráfico de Sea Grant.

Para mas information haga clic aqui.

Lionfish Threaten Coral Reef Devastation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

Lionfish Invasion: Super Predator Threatens Caribbean Coral Reefs

By: Mark Hixon, Mark Albins, and Tori Redinger

Indo-Pacific lionfish are rapidly invading the waters of the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic. Due to their population explosion and aggressive behavior, lionfish have the potential to become the most disastrous marine invasion in history by drastically reducing the abundance of coral reef fishes and leaving behind a devastated ecosystem. Dr. Mark Hixon and his team from Oregon State University with support from NOAA’s Undersea Research Program (NURP) have embarked on the first studies to measure the severity of the crisis posed by this invasive predator.

While complete eradication does not seem realistic, affected nations are encouraged to initiate targeted lionfish control efforts as soon as possible, including targeted fisheries (lionfish flesh is tasty and cooking denatures the spine venom). Efforts to reduce densities of lionfish at key locations may help to lessen their ecological impacts. Recovering and maintaining healthy populations of potential native predators of lionfish, such as large grouper and sharks, may also help reduce the deleterious effects of these voracious invasive predators.

If you see a Lionfish while diving make an attempt to remove it from the reef with a spear, net, or any other safe apparatus. Do not touch the spines. If you are unsuccessful please report your sighting here online. Or, report any lionfish catches to NOAA at (252) 728-8714 or emailreportlionfish@noaa.gov

Diver info PDF
Angler info PDF

Limpeiza Internacional de Costas 19 de septiembre 2009

Sabado 19 de Septiembre 8 por la manana a Playa Marias





Unete a la
Limpieza Internacional de Costas sábado, 19 de septiembre de 2009, para limpiar a todo Puerto Rico. Este es el esfuerzo de conservación más impactante en el mundo limpiando cerca de 100 países este mismo día bajo la dirección del
Ocean Conservancy.

Especie invasora atenta contra el coquí

Por Yulia Nil Cedeño y Gerardo Cordero / El Nuevo Dia
Científico señala que las gallinas de palo han variado su dieta herbívora.

El coquí ya no puede cantar despreocupado en los campos de Borinquen porque un depredador invasor ha llegado a su hábitat.

Se trata de la Iguana iguana o gallina de palo, que en los pasados 20 años se ha reproducido de forma acelerada en Puerto Rico, país al que arribó como simpática mascota de personas que luego las liberaron, seguramente sin imaginar que con el paso del tiempo se convertirían en un riesgo para la flora y la fauna nativa.

Y es que lejos de la inofensiva imagen de sus primeros años como llamativas mascotas exóticas, ahora se sabe que el reptil "no es un angelito", porque además de yerba puede comer huevos de aves, pichones y hasta coquíes, según el doctor Rafael Joglar, biólogo especializado en anfibios y reptiles, quien ha encabezado las primeras investigaciones sobre la gallina de palo en Puerto Rico.
sondeo

Joglar explicó que aquí la situación es compleja porque son escasos los depredadores de la gallina de palo. En el limitado grupo de aquellos que entiende pueden atacar y aniquilarlas figuran el guaraguao, el zorzal pardo, la garza real y el perro doméstico. Irónicamente, en su lugar de origen la gallina de palo tiene hasta 41 depredadores.

El profesor Joglar explicó que la Iguana iguana es una especie nativa de Centro y Suramérica que probablemente fue introducida en Puerto Rico durante los años setenta, cuando las importaban como mascotas y las vendían sin mayores limitaciones en las tiendas de animales.

Veer mas fotos aqui

Acontecimiento Alrededor de Puerto Rico

Sólo para adinerados Riviera del Caribe
Así se lo informó el director ejecutivo a vecinos de Ceiba.

Por Pedro Bosque Pérez / pbosque@elnuevodia.com

El director ejecutivo del proyecto Riviera del Caribe, Jaime González, instó en una reunión reciente con residentes de Ceiba a conformarse con ver sólo a personas adineradas comprando en las tiendas y beneficiándose del redesarrollo de la antigua base naval Roosevelt Road.



Una de las propuestas para Riviera del Caribe es que cerca del puerto a donde llegarán los cruceros se construya una marina para lanchas rápidas que transportarán a personas con mayor poder adquisitivo a las islas municipio de Vieques y Culebra. Esa marina también podrá ser usada por los dueños de yates de más de 50 pies de eslora.

el nuevo dia

Protect the Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve

Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve in Peril

Take Action!










Speak Up for Leatherback Sea Turtles!

In April 2008, Surfrider Foundation and a coalition of partners celebrated the designation of Puerto Rico's Northeast Ecological Corridor (NEC) as a Nature Reserve, after a nearly 10 year campaign to protect this extraordinary natural area from the construction of the Dos Mares J.W. Marriott Resort and the San Miguel Four Seasons Resort. Besides being one of the Caribbean's biodiversity hotspots with over 50 rare, threatened, and endemic species, the NEC holds one of the most important nesting beaches for Leatherback sea turtles in the U.S. This victory also helped maintain public access to La Selva, one of the best surfing spots in the northeast coast of Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately, the NEC is in danger once again. Disregarding the NEC's extraordinary natural value and historical conservation efforts, the recently elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Luis G. Fortuño, is considering to eliminate the NEC to make way for the construction of residential and tourism projects in the area.




































These photos show whats at stake.

Email the Governor of Puerto Rico, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, NOAA's Administrator and the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service to protect the Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve.

Take Action!

Programa Sea Grant favorece ley de costas claras

As reported by the Associated Press
en el Vocero de Puerto Rico
14 de agosto de 2009 11:00 am

MAYAGUEZ - El director del Programa Sea Grant del recinto de Mayagüez de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Ruperto Chaparro, dio la bienvenida a una nueva ley de costas que defina claramente la zona marítimo terrestre al tiempo que proteja el patrimonio.

Actualmente, la zona marítimo terrestre incluye el espacio de costa bañado por el mar, en donde son sensibles las mareas y las mayores olas en los temporales, así como los terrenos ganados al mar y las márgenes de los ríos. Pero el Reglamento 17 de la Junta de Planificación sobre la zonificación de las costas especifica una “zona de separación” que prohíbe construir en una faja de 50 metros de ancho desde la zona marítimo terrestre.


Una propuesta del representante Carlos “Johnny” Méndez (foto) establecería por ley que la zona marítimo terrestre “nunca será menos de 50 metros”. EL VOCERO/Archivo


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Domes Day in August

Recently, a soccer team from Key West High School in Florida came to Puerto Rico for a soccer tournament and hoped to participate in a community service event in Rincon during their trip. Their coach Jason Clifford contacted SF Rincon to organize this event, a few months prior, in order for the students to fulfill their school's community service requirements. We happily accepted their generosity to come to Rincon to fulfill their community service requirements and we chose Playa Domes as the event site. The event was a huge success given the students resilience to the tropical heat and hard work. After a morning of working, Playa Domes was clean and the hillside was cleared allowing the native trees and plants to thrive more readily.

At this time SF Rincon would like to thank Jason Cliford and his team from Key West High School, along with his chaperones, for making this event possible. SF Rincon would also like to thank the local volunteers that made it out and the Municipality of Rincon for their help providing a trash container for the debris and picking up the leaf and branch litter after the event. Thank you all!

EPA fines 6 towns over stormwater handling

As reported by John Marino for Caribbean Business

marino@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed complaints against six island municipalities for failing to comply with federal Clean Water Act requirements related to stormwater management for small municipal sewer systems.

The six municipalities, which face a total $291,177 in fines, are: Cayey, Hatillo, Las Piedras, Loíza, Río Grande and Toa Alta.

“In order to prevent harmful discharges from their sewer systems, EPA is forcing these six municipalities to comply with federal clean water laws,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou. “Discharges from small municipal sewer systems can contaminate drinking water and recreational waterways, impairing these valuable resources.”

EPA ordered the municipalities to comply with stormwater requirements for sewer systems earlier this year after they were unable to provide evidence to EPA of compliance following a request in 2007.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, established under the federal Clean Water Act, controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States. Municipalities are required to apply for NPDES permit coverage in order to operate the sewer systems, EPA officials said. Under this permit, operators are required to develop and implement a stormwater management program to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable to protect water quality. A total of 70 municipalities in Puerto Rico are currently subject to these requirements.

Municipal stormwater discharges are of concern because they often contain high concentrations of pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, oil, litter and sediments, EPA officials said. Stormwater runoff picks up and transports untreated pollutants into waterways. Municipal stormwater discharges can result in the destruction of habitat, fish mortality, and contamination of drinking water supplies and recreational waterways.

The breakdown in fines are: Cayey, $48,920; Hatillo, $48,071; Las Piedras, $47,738; Loíza, $47,409; Río Grande, $49,393; and Toa Alta, $49,646.

NOAA Announces PR Coral Reef Fellowship

NOAA is seeking applicants for a newly created PR Coral Reef Management Fellowship.

The goal of this fellowship assignment is to support the DNER on several tasks pertaining to the PR Coral Reef Program and natural reserves management plans.

The local community of Rincon, with support from the Surfrider Foundation, has been very involved in the process to establish the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve and to develop a Management Plan for the site. As a representative of DNER, the fellow will work with the community to begin implementation of this plan with an emphasis on an outreach and education program with community involvement in related activities.

The fellowship starts January 2010 and will end January 2012.

Applications are due by July 31, 2009.

Details on the fellowship and application process can be downloaded here

VISTA PUBLICA / PUBLIC HEARING

en español abajo

Tres Palmas Marine Reserve
Public Hearing on the Management Plan

The Puerto Rico Planning Board and the Department of Natural Resrouces are holding a public hearing on the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve Management Plan

Thursday July 30
10:00 am
Municipal Assembly Room - Casa Alcaldía del Municipio de Rincón.

Read the Public Notice

Learn more about the Management Plan or Download the Plan itself

La Junta de Planificación de Puerto Rico y Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico celebraran una

VISTA PUBLICA

sobre el Plan de Manejo de la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas de Rincón

el día 30 de julio de 2009
a las 10:00am
en el Salón de la legislatura Municipal de la Casa Alcaldía del Municipio de Rincón.

Aprende más sobre el Plan de Manejo o Baja el Plan

Aviso en español

Aquatic Art Exhibit Opens

en español

The Rincon of the Seas Hotel lobby came alive with 39 colorful aquatic paintings during the student art opening on June 25, 2009. The talented artists, all junior high school and high school students from Rincon, brought their friends and family that evening to enjoy the unique art, appetizers, the "Porta Coeli Jazz" band, and the launching of a coral reef lesson book created with their art.

The bright canvases are hung along the hotel lobby's walls beautifying it and giving a positive environmental message to the community. All the students in the exhibit had attended two all-day workshops on coral reef lessons, ocean conservation, and painting in March. The ocean-themed paintings they produced during the workshops were weaved into a coral reef lesson book which was handed out at the exhibit to all who attended.

This project sponsored by Surfrider Foundation and 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 in the last 2 years, among other debris.

If you haven't seen the show it will be up until July 9. You can pick up a copy of the book at the hotel front desk.

Everyone enjoyed the wonderful live jazz provided by "Porta Coeli Jazz" from San German, we thank them. Many thanks to Rincon of the Seas who sponsored the exhibit and the appetizers. Special thanks to Arnaldo Ruiz, Lizandra Ayala, Victor, and front desk staff at the hotel. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make this happen, specially the students and their family. Thanks to Leon and Ali Richter for handling the book printing efforts.

If you are a business owner, teacher, or school and want copies of the book (while supplies last) to hand out contact us at 787 823 2784.

AB

    Celebramos ''International Surfing Day'' y el Solsticio del Verano 

Celebrate ''International Surfing Day'' & the Summer Solstice 

6.20.2009 Playa Steps @ 8 am - 1 pm

Este día nos da una ocasión de promover y de celebrar el deporte mientras que trae conocimiento al estado de nuestros océanos y playas.

Created by SURFING Magazine, this unofficial, official surfers' holiday gives us a chance to promote and celebrate the sport while bringing awareness to the state of our oceans and beaches

El municipio de Rincon y la Fundacion Surfrider les invitana a

Limpieza de Playa Steps / Beach Cleanup at Steps Beach 

@ 8AM

PALETEO / PADDLE - Steps > El Faro > Steps 

@ 10AM

''POT LUCK'' - Almuerzo/Lunch - Playa Steps en Rincon 

@ 12PM

Trae tu tabla, plato favorito, y un amigo

Bienvenidos Todos

Reduce, Reusa, Recicla: Trae Tu Plato, Vaso Reusable, y una silla gracias

Bring your board, favorite dish, and a friend

Everyone Welcome!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: bring your own reusable lunch plate, a glass, and a chair.

Habran regalos, bolsas, guantes para los particpantes.

Para mas informacion/for more Info 787.823.2784 o salvatrespalmas@yahoo.com

Aquatic Art Show

Save the Date
for the
Acuatic Art Exhibit
Opening June 25, 2009
7-9pm
Rincón of the Seas Hotel

This project is sponsored by NOAA's Marine Debris Program and is part of 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.

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