Puerto Rico Sea Grant's coral reef restoration research contributed to enhancing the growing tourism-based economy of Culebra Island by fostering increasing visitors to restored reefs, with visitors mostly attracted to the diversity of fish species and resident sea turtles. Coral reef restoration efforts resulted in significant increases in fish abundance and diversity. In addition to attracting tourists, restoring depleted coral reefs represents additional long-term benefits of increasing shoreline resilience to wave action and helping to rebuild fisheries of species reliant on coral reefs for habitat.

A well informed, marine-science literate and environmentally responsible citizenry is needed to ensure a sustainable future for Puerto Rico’s marine and coastal environments. Puerto Rico Sea Grant contributed to the development of an ocean literate citizenry and a future workforce that is diverse, knowledgeable and adequately prepared to advance the understanding of marine and coastal environments, its wise use, management and conservation.

In 2016, the Puerto Rico Sea Grant coordinated thirty-seven (37) education events for 2,219 K-12 levels students, and one hundred thirty two (132) teachers. Students acquired new knowledge (61.3% knowledge gain) about marine and coastal ecosystems and had the opportunity to understand and appreciate the varied study fields in marine sciences.

Tres Palmas Marine Reserve (TPMR) has been heavily marketed as one of the top 5 best places for snorkeling in Puerto Rico. Given the reserve’s attractiveness and popularity, the amount of visitors has significantly increased generating new management challenges, which are accentuated by the lack of enforcement at the reserve. Puerto Rico Sea Grant and Amigos de Tres Palmas coordinated an interagency meeting to overview current institutional arrangements and enforcement activities of federal, state, and territorial agencies, with jurisdiction on Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.

Puerto Rico Sea Grant and partners implemented a series of management strategies aimed at the protection and conservation of TPMR and the education of resource users through the involvement of the local community. Given the positive results from these partnerships, two agreements of collaboration were signed where Amigos de Tres Palmas and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources agreed to work together in co-managing the TPMR.