JOBOS BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE Management Plan 2017-2022 Draft August, 2017 Acknowledgements Financial support for this publication was provided by NA14NOS4200135, NA16NOS4200164, and NA15NOS4200138 under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, administered by the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office for Coastal Management (OCM), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. This document was drafted by Estudios Técnicos, Inc. with the information provided by the Jobos Bay NERR staff, and the contribution of its advisory committees, and other Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) staff members. Guidance from NOAA was provided by Program Officer Nina Garfield, Estuarine Reserves Division. Jobos Bay NERR staff Aitza Pabón: Director, Jobos Bay NERR Milton Muñoz Hincapié: Stewardship Program Coordinator Angel Dieppa: Research and Monitoring Program Coordinator Enid Malavé Quiñones: Chemist System Wide Monitoring Program Laboratory Technician Edwin Omar Rodríguez: Coastal Training Program Coordinator Ernesto Olivares: Education Program Coordinator Nilda Peña: Environmental Educator Luis Ortiz: Groundskeeper Advisory Committees and PRDNER collaborators Alberto Mercado Vargas National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alexis Cruz Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Álida Ortiz Educational Consultant Ariel Lugo International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) Astrid Green PRDNER Community Relations Berliz Morales Sea Grant Program Carlos Maldonado Guayama Municipality Carlos Rodríguez School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus Carlos Vega Land Surveyor Clarimar Díaz Rivera Director, Terrestrial Resources Planning Division PRDNER Office of Coastal Zone Management and Climate Coralys Ortiz Change Craig Lilyestrom PRDNER, Director, Division of Marine Resources Delmis Alicea Sea Grant Program Jobos Bay NERR Management Plan Page | ii Edwin Mas Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Efraín López U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Frank A. Martínez Office of Management and Budget (OGPe) Glorimar Lorenzo Environmental Quality Board (JCA) Imar Mansilla Rivera School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus Iván Llerandi U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Jesús Rodríguez Retired Employee of U.S. Geological Survey Jorge Capella Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS), UPRM José M. Rodríguez U.S. Geological Survey Lillian Ramírez Sea Grant Program University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Lisamarie Carruba NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Maritza González Woodrow Wilson Elementary School Miriam Gallardo Retired Teacher Eco-development Initiative for Jobos Bay (Iniciativa de Nelson Torres Ecodesarrollo de Bahía de Jobos -IDEBAJO) PRDNER Office of Coastal Zone Management and Climate Raúl Santini Change Ricardo Carrión Agricultural Extension Service, Guayama Manager of the Natural reserves: Corredor Ecológico del Noreste, Ricardo Colón Canal Luis Peña and Arrecifes La Cordillera/ Collaborator in the development of the Sentinel Site Project Roberto J. Thomas IDEBAJO Ruth Santiago IDEBAJO Shirley Droz San Conrado School, Ponce Yanitza Rodríguez Woodrow Wilson Elementary School Maps: Estudios Técnicos, Inc. Photo credits: Jobos Bay NERR staff, unless otherwise noted. Jobos Bay NERR Management Plan Page | iii Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 11 PLAN PURPOSE AND SCOPE ................................................................................................................. 11 INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM ................. 17 INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM ................................................. 17 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM STRATEGIC GOALS ...................................................... 18 BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND BOUNDARIES OF THE NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM ...... 19 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .................................................. 20 INTRODUCTION TO THE RESERVE ..................................................................................... 22 HISTORY AND LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF THE RESERVE ............................................................................. 22 ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES..................................................................................................................... 23 SUMMARY OF THREATS AND STRESSORS .................................................................................................. 38 RESERVE BOUNDARIES DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................... 45 RESERVE STRATEGIC PLAN ............................................................................................... 66 JOBOS BAY NERR VISION AND MISSION .............................................................................................. 66 GUIDING PRINCIPLES .......................................................................................................................... 66 JOBOS BAY NERR PRIORITY ISSUES ...................................................................................................... 67 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................... 69 RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAM ..................................................................... 73 NEERS RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAM .................................................................................. 73 PROGRAM CONTEXT, CAPACITIES AND DELIVERY .................................................................................... 75 RESEARCH FUTURE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES ....................................................................................... 85 RESEARCH RELATED OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ....................................................................................... 87 EDUCATION PROGRAM ................................................................................................... 94 NERRS EDUCATION PROGRAM ........................................................................................................... 94 PROGRAM CONTEXT, CAPACITIES AND DELIVERY .................................................................................... 95 EDUCATION NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................. 101 EDUCATION RELATED OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ................................................................................... 103 COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM .................................................................................... 108 NEERS COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM .............................................................................................. 108 PROGRAM CONTEXT, CAPACITIES AND DELIVERY .................................................................................. 109 NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................... 114 COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM RELATED OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ...................................................... 115 ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN .................................................................................................. 122 ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK AND MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES .......................................................... 122 JOBOS BAY NERR ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE ................................................................................... 124 VESSELS AND VEHICLES ..................................................................................................................... 129 Jobos Bay NERR Management Plan Page | iv 6.2 NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................... 129 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................................... 132 RESOURCE PROTECTION PLAN ...................................................................................... 170 COMMONWEALTH’S MANAGEMENT AND STATUTORY AUTHORITIES ......................................................... 170 ALLOWABLE AND UNALLOWABLE USES ................................................................................................ 171 SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENT CAPACITIES ................................................................................... 176 RESOURCE PROTECTION CHALLENGES ................................................................................................. 177 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................................... 178 PUBLIC ACCESS AND VISITOR USE PLAN....................................................................... 182 CURRENT PUBLIC ACCESS ................................................................................................................. 182 PUBLIC ACCESS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES .............................................................................. 189 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................................... 190 FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN .................................................