Jobos Bay, located between the municipalities of Salinas and Guayama, Puerto Rico, is more than a nature reserve with coexisting flora and fauna. It is the sole national estuarine research reserve in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and one of only 30 in the United States and its territories, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Hurricane María’s strong winds disrupted the ecological balance of the reserve, but with time, nature’s regenerative processes have aided its recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated more than $462,000 to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to repair structures and technology at the research center, the agency confirmed.

“Aside from being an eco-tourism destination, Jobos Bay contributes to the management and conservation of the nation’s network of estuarine reserves. This funding allocation helps the reserve improve its facilities and acquire the necessary equipment to continue its scientific and educational mission,” said José G. Baquero, FEMA’s disaster recovery coordinator for Puerto Rico.

The reserve serves as both a scientific research laboratory and a wildlife monitoring center. Aitza E. Pabón-Valentín, director of Jobos Bay National Reserve and Estuarine Research, said they monitor changes in vegetation, behavior of endemic species and phenomena related to climate change.

“We have a station that we call the sentinel. From there, we measure ground pressure, water inflow and changes in vegetation every month. The theory is – and one can already see it – that the habitats are migrating inland. That is, the mangrove forest is moving inland as the sea level rises. We are quantifying that effect of climate change,” Pabón-Valentín explained.

The reserve’s facilities also have an educational role in conserving marine and terrestrial ecosystems, with collaborations from various agencies, schools, universities and community groups.

“We have several ongoing scientific investigations. One student is working on her doctoral work with the populations of Cassiopeas, which are marine jellyfish. We have work that the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture is doing on the seabed census and others related to seaweeds, and we are monitoring migratory and local birds,” she added.

Jimmy Peña, DNER’s coastal program training coordinator, stated that in addition to climate change studies, the reserve focuses on estuary rehabilitation.

“Although people and tourism are welcome, [the reserve] is based on research. We develop mangrove growth scientifically, that’s why we have the different stages of mangrove development,” Peña said. “The juvenile mangroves are being used to restore the coast of Mata la Gata Island, but also to restore other places.” To date more than 4,000 juvenile mangroves have been planted for coastal restoration, he said.

The Visitors Center, formerly the Aguirre Sugar Plantation Clubhouse, now serves as a lab for analyzing field samples from the bay. The cultural activities center is housed in the old Aguirre train station.

FEMA’s funding will cover repairs to the walls, roofs, observation towers, gazebos and a boardwalk of these buildings, as well as fixing vital wi-fi antennas for research data dissemination.

Additionally, more than $509,000 has been allocated to repair the Cambalache Species Refuge in Arecibo, which shelters exotic animals brought to Puerto Rico illegally. The refuge is home to various mammals, reptiles and bird species.

Scheduled repairs include the main office, electrical infrastructure, fixtures, the water cistern and the cages for reptiles, birds and mammals.

The two DNER projects have hazard mitigation funds available – more than $127,000 for the Jobos Bay Estuarine Research Center and nearly $47,000 for the Cambalache Species Refuge, to address such issues as water infiltration and electrical system protection.

“DNER’s permanent works are important and very particular because they are aimed at restoring facilities that seek to preserve natural resources for scientific purposes or for the use and enjoyment of the people, as is the case of these projects to which FEMA allocated funds,” said Manuel Laboy, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency.

“Currently, the DNER has 155 projects in the design acquisition process, design or construction bidding, with investments totaling $90.8 million. We will continue to support the DNER throughout the required process for these projects in Salinas and Guayama to begin development soon,” Laboy added.

Fuente: News is my Business

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