A new report on the aquaculture industry in Puerto Rico revealed a lack of standardization among permits, infrastructure, and economic aid. Furthermore, in the face of deteriorating coral reefs, pressure on fisheries, and the challenges of marine aquaculture development, local environmental organizations use their research to strengthen coastal communities.
“The answer requires looking at the ocean as a connected system,” summarized Tania Metz Estrella, program manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Puerto Rico.
TNC promotes solutions based on climate adaptation, water security, coral conservation, and sustainable fisheries.
In July, TNC completed a report on marine aquaculture policies and regulations in Puerto Rico, which evaluates permits for cultivating algae, corals, and oysters, among other organisms. The report proposes changes to facilitate sustainable and inclusive growth in the sector.
“We identified the complexity of permits, the lack of physical and governmental infrastructure, risks associated with hurricanes, and difficulties in accessing markets as obstacles,” explained Metz Estrella.
The entity determined that aquaculture has great economic and environmental potential on the island, and should be prioritized through incentives for small businesses. In the case of oysters, there is a particular opportunity.
“Oysters function as biofilters, as they filter water as they grow and can contribute to habitat creation. So-called regenerative aquaculture seeks precisely to combine food production with environmental benefits,” said Karina Olivieri, aquaculture manager at the Institute of Socio-Ecology (ISER) of the Caribbean.
ISER Caribe develops protocols for reproducing native oysters in the laboratory and studies how to close the cycle from larva production to the growth of adult specimens. It also collaborates with fishermen in the fishing village of Culebra to provide purification systems that improve product quality.
However, the development of this industry requires strict controls.
“We need to establish biosecurity standards, quarantines, and sanitary controls to prevent the introduction of diseases or exotic species that could affect native populations,” highlighted Olivieri.
Furthermore, she considers it necessary to define which agencies will supervise the genetic and sanitary quality of organisms that may eventually be imported. However, Olivieri emphasized that it is important for local oyster production to exceed imports.
“In Puerto Rico, we have the perfect conditions to cultivate everything, and it's important that we take advantage of it before a foreigner comes and takes them from us,” she warned.
In Ceiba and La Parguera, ISER Caribe maintains coral nurseries for large-scale restoration projects.
Jorge Casillas Maldonado, operations manager for the Ceiba Center for Marine Organism Research and Restoration, explained that they cultivate “corals alongside other herbivorous organisms that help keep down algae that compete with transplanted corals.”
Currently, they are developing a bank of living corals with genetically unique fragments, known as “bio banking,” to extract coral sperm and “cryopreserve it.” That is, they are freezing coral sperm with the goal of conserving genetic material that, in the future, will be used to restore populations more resilient to climate change.
Coral aquaculture is an essential part of the reef restoration process.
“We have to preserve corals, because thanks to them, we have reefs. They don't just look pretty in the water, but they serve as barriers against strong tides, they are habitat for dozens of marine organisms essential for fishing, and they help us maintain a healthy marine environment,” assured Olivieri.
For its part, TNC has identified eight priority areas for coral restoration in Puerto Rico, where they collaborate with communities, scientists, tour operators, and staff from the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA).
Thanks to their efforts, more than 150 DRNA rangers and dozens of tour operators have received training on best practices for protecting the coast.
“The challenge of conserving corals is growing,” said Metz Estrella, who identifies bleaching, coral diseases, invasive species, and pollution associated with discharges and runoff as some of the main threats.
For specialists, restoring a reef is not simply planting corals; it involves recovering the entire ecosystem, including sea urchins, sponges, mangroves, and other organisms that are also undergoing conservation processes.
“There are many ways to tackle the same problem,” summarized Casillas.
The organizations bet that conservation and economic development are not opposing paths.
“Aquaculture could offer new sources of employment for fishermen and coastal communities, while ecosystem restoration helps protect the very waters these communities depend on,” stated Olivieri.
Now, the challenge is to turn these projects into a long-term public strategy that harnesses marine potential without compromising the environment.