Record-Breaking Effort to Restore Puerto Rico’s Hurricane-Damaged Mangroves

The Takeaway: The nation’s largest-ever mangrove restoration project aims to rebuild natural storm protection in Puerto Rico.

A group of people pose in the mudflats in front of a stretch of vegetation.
The large-scale restoration uses nature as a cost-effective solution to storm impacts, while boosting the local economy and creating workforce development opportunities for the next generation. Photo credit: BoriCorps.

A large-scale restoration of the mangrove forest in Pozuelo, adjacent to Puerto Rico’s Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, is underway thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the National Coastal Resilience Fund. At 695 acres and growing, the project is part of a larger $3 million effort to expand the region’s mangrove habitat and protect communities from hurricane impacts.

Two people stand in shallow water while unloading young mangrove trees from a small boat. Damaged bare trees stand in the background.
Photo credit: BoriCorps.

Mangroves play a crucial role in storm surge protection, acting as natural barriers and reducing the impact of storm surges and coastal erosion. Their dense root systems help reduce wave energy, while their leaves and branches act as a windbreak. This natural defense system is particularly effective in protecting coastal communities and inland areas from damage and flooding during extreme weather events.

One person leans on a shovel while another lowers a small mangrove into a hole in the mudflat.
Photo credit: BoriCorps.

The mangrove restoration project combines partnerships from across government with community support. Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources is leading the project, and work to restore water flow and plant new mangrove trees will be carried out by local laborers and BoriCorps volunteers, providing jobs and workforce development opportunities for young people.

In Puerto Rico, mangrove forests provide valuable ecosystem services that protect the coastline from erosion, provide habitat for fish and birds, and contribute to the territory’s important tourism industry. At the same time, mangrove habitats have been declining. Damage from back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 spurred the initiative to restore these ecosystems and protect local communities from future storms.

NOAA's Office for Coastal Management and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided funding for this project. For more information on the grant program, please visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s website.

Federal Funding: $1,232,100 Total Project Amount: $2,552,100

Partners: NOAA, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, The Ocean Foundation, Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, BoriCorps

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