Going Snorkeling? Check your sunscreen label first!

Coral bleaching linked to sunscreen chemicals:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291012/

Mineral sunblock tends to protect better, is gentler on skin as well as the environment. There are even "reef safe" formulas now designed to protect the habitats we love to enjoy while in the sun.

Check the Evironmental Working Group's site for a full list of eco-conscious sunscreens, updated yearly.

Fiesta para la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas

Tres Palmas Marine Reserve Party!
April 6th!
We love the ocean and we love to party!

Free Food (Get there early, 7 pm) Drum Bums jamm'n tunes, raffles, prizes, and fun.

Rum Shack, Wednesday, April 6th at 7 pm.

All proceeds go directly towards the non-profit organization (NGO) that helps keep Tres Palmas clean, helps with outreach and education, and new conservation activities in the reserve.

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 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

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.

Salva Tres Palmas - Free Screening

The 2009 Rincón International Film Festival is taking place this week in Rincón, PR. 60 films were selected from over 350 submissions and are being screened around Rincón from April 28 - May 3.

Salva Tres Palmas - The Film is being shown on Sunday, May 3 at 7pm in Rincón's town plaza. This screening is FREE and open to the public.

Salva Tres Palmas tells the story of the Surfrider Foundation campaign and the resulting 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. This coral has a vital ecological importance to the shores of Rincón, the health of the sea and the species that inhabit it.

The Film Festival is being sponsored in part by the Tourism Association of Rincón and Porta del Sol along with a variety of local merchants including the Secret Garden Art Gallery, the Shipwreck Bar & Grill, and Uncharted Studios.

Rincón Students signing up for art workshop

More that 40 students signed up for the "Aquatic Art Workshop" to be held on Saturdays March 14 and 28 at the Jorge Seda Crespo Junior High School near Rincon's balneario from 9am to 3pm.

It will be a fun workshop where the end result will be an environmental book based on the art produced during the workshop. There will also be an art show of the paintings at the Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Rincón in May.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities for artists, photographers, schleppers, and more. Want to help? Contact: Annette Blasini 787.823.0964 / 787.233.6510 or email her at annetteblasini@yahoo.com

This Surfrider project is the education component of the NOAA funded - Coral Reef Protection through Marine Debris Removal at Reserva Marina Tres Palmas

Aquatic Art in Rincon

Don't miss your chance to work with Rincon's youth and help protect coral reefs for future generations.

Donate a few hours of your time to a worthwhile project as students from Rincon's Jorge Seda Crespo middle school create original artwork depicting coral reef lessons and themes. These original works will be assembled into an artbook and presented live at a local art show.

The Aquatic Art Workshop is being organized by Surfrider activist Annette Blasini as part of our NOAA funded project - Coral Reef Protection through Marine Debris Removal at Reserva Marina Tres Palmas

When you volunteer you’ll leave a footprint in the educational experience of Rincón’s youth. It’s a gift the will last a lifetime.

Bamboo Beach and Rescate Playa Isabela hosts an event for Surfrider Foundation Rincón

With the venue provided for by Bamboo Beach in Isabela, Rescate Playa Isabela hosted Surfrider Foundation Rincón for the showing of the film 'Salva Tres Palmas.' The film documents the progress of implementing the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve as the first official marine reserve on the main island of Puerto Rico. Highlights of the film include essential communal, scientific, and environmental agencies' points-of-view on the importance of protecting this unique area, fantastic photography and video, and outstanding music provided for by Mijo de la Palma. Surfrider Foundation Rincón would like to thank Bamboo Beach for providing the excellent venue, and Rescate Playa Isabela for hosting the event. We will look forward to future collaborations.