The picturesque hillsides and vibrant blue waters of northeast Puerto Rico and nearby Culebra Island are home to marine and terrestrial ecosystems that make it a truly special place. This corner of Puerto Rico is NOAA's only Habitat Blueprint Focus Area in the Caribbean. NOAA's Habitat Blueprint is a national framework to improve habitat for fisheries, marine life, and coastal communities. Among the most pressing environmental issues here are the impacts from soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution on the coral reefs and other marine habitats that lie just offshore from the rugged hillsides.

Continue reading →

...