Ocean foundation mangrove restoration in salinas puerto rico earmark project description: the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $802,000 in federal funding to the…

Ocean foundation mangrove restoration in salinas puerto rico earmark project description: the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $802,000 in federal funding to the ocean foundation for the restoration of mangroves in salinas puerto rico. Specifically, the ocean foundation will use these funds to support the implementation of hydrological, topographic, and biological restoration activities for 221 acres of mangroves at two sites in the jobos BAY national estuarine research reserve (jbnerr). The fieldwork will be led by a consultant, merello marine consulting, LLC, who will hire and train puerto rican laborers to support this effort. Activities will include channel creation and dredging, culvert maintenance and cleaning, mangrove dispersal center construction, mangrove nursery cultivation and planting, and project monitoring. In addition, TOF and its partners will work with the reserve on community outreach, educational activities for volunteers and students, and restoration monitoring (pre-, during, and post-restoration). The ocean foundation will serve as the overall project manager, including procurement, communications, reporting, and director of drone-related activities. The award will support personnel, fringe, and travel for TOF staff, as well as supplies for restoration and monitoring, a sole-source contract with merello marine consulting, and indirect costs. In the long-term, this project is anticipated to contribute significantly to hurricane-related wind and flood protection for the surrounding communities including the prepa aguirre power complex, a 1,534 MW oil-fired thermoelectric power facility that provides a significant portion of the entire island's electrical generating capacity. This power-generating asset directly borders jbnerr and is now far more exposed to hurricane-related storm surges and destructive winds due to the substantial loss of healthy mangrove coverage in the surrounding area. We anticipate this project will also contribute to improved fisheries and migratory bird habitats in the intervention areas. Overall, this mangrove r/r effort, the largest of its kind ever attempted in the united states, will contribute to building a community of practice that will catalyze additional large-scale coastal resilience projects via knowledge sharing, on-the-ground training, and expanded research opportunities.