Researchers are studying the human impact in coastal ecosystems of the Island

For the first time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funded an interdisciplinary research on human impacts to coastal ecosystems of the Island; a project involving experts from NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). The hypothesis of the study, which also involves researchers from Florida International University and the University of Texas at Austin, is that there has been a detriment effect on the coastal ecosystems due to the increased human activities, particularly on the composition of the associated coral reefs. From ESD, Drs. Juan Torres-Pérez (Science PI; BAERI) and Liane Guild are participating in the project. What makes this an interdisciplinary project is the involvement of the use of satellite imagery (historic and present), hydrology, ecology and socio-economics.

We are studying two watersheds: the Río Grande de Manatí in the north coast and the Río Loco in Guánica in the southwest coast. The purpose is to see how, since the 1930’s, these two watersheds have been impacted by the increase in population, and eventually how the developments have affected the coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, seagrasses, mangrove forests and beaches, associated with these watersheds. Although we still don’t know if there is a direct relationship, the coral cover in La Parguera and Guánica has diminished dramatically in the past decades, and corals are being replaced mostly by filamentous algae, which grow very fast and if the coral is under stress, they may overgrow the coral and kill it.

The loss in coral cover weakens the primary structure of the coral reef. Additionally, there are consequences on the fisheries, recreation, and coastal protection. In fact, the socio-economic component of the project studies the behavior of the residents and visitors of both watersheds and the way they perceive the ecosystems. In other words, the study aims to find if the people are conscious that whatever they do in the upper watershed eventually affects the coast.

The results will not only present evidence of changes through time in the watersheds but will also be made available to the managers and local agencies so they can use them in public policy and managing strategies to preserve the coastal and marine ecosystems of the Island.

Dr. Torres-Pérez is also the mentor of the DEVELOP Program at Ames. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, a Masters in Geological Oceanography and a PhD in Biological Oceanography with a concentration in Bio-optics and coral reefs ecology. Before working with BAERI, Dr. Torres-Pérez also participated at Ames as a postdoctoral researcher studying the spectroscopy of Caribbean marine organisms.

This is the first time that NASA funds such interdisciplinary research

Source article can be found here (in Spanish)

Photo caption: The marine biologist and oceanographer Juan Luis Torres-Pérez taking spectral measures of marine organisms in La Parguera, PR.