Natural Resources:
The NEC displays an extraordinary set of characteristics that individually
or together, makes this area unique among other natural sites in Puerto
Rico and the Caribbean.
- Contains one of the best and last remnants of a coastal forest
under pre-Columbian conditions present in Puerto Rico, a historical
value seldom granted to a natural area [see photo #1].
- The outlet of Quebrada Fajardo, one of the creeks that flow through
the Corridor, is one of the deepest found in PR, with 23 feet in
depth.
- The NEC harbors most of the coastal wetland types found in Puerto
Rico, such as coral communities, seagrass beds, freshwater marshes,
mangroves forests and Bloodwood (Pterocarpus officinalis)
swamps, among others [see photo #2].
- Encompasses two bioluminescent lagoon, Laguna Aguas Prietas within
the Corridor itself, and Laguna Grande, located immediately east
of the NEC [see photo #3].
- Contains one of the most structurally developed mangrove forests
in Puerto Rico. This mangrove forest is found on the estuary of the
Río Juan Martín, one of the four water bodies that flow through the
NEC [see photo #4].
- Along with Las Cabezas de San Juan (El Faro) Nature Reserve to
the east and the Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque) to the southwest,
the NEC provides a "bridge" where all of Puerto Rico's ecological
life zones are found within a continuous area. The ecological diversity
observed in this region varies from a dry coastal forest to a lower-montane
rain forest. Such an occurrence, in a limited area of just 13 miles
in length, is extremely rare in any location around the world [see photo #5].
- The Corridor is home to over 40 critical elements (endemic, rare,
threatened or endangered species): birds, reptiles, marine mammals,
plants [see photo #6].
- The NEC's sandy beaches are one of the three most important nesting
sites the Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in
areas under the U.S. jurisdiction. It is also a significant nesting
site for Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Both
species are listed as endangered in the U.S. and its territories
[see photo #7].
Sea turtles
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("USFWS") and the National Marine
Fisheries Service have long recognized the need to protect the NEC, especially
for its critical importance to the Caribbean Leatherback sea turtle population.
This beach is now one of the largest leatherback nesting beaches in the
Caribbean, and females that have used the NEC as nesting grounds have
been later tracked along the entire US eastern seaboard, Canada, Bermuda,
Europe, the Azores, and even South Africa [see photo #8].
As the USFWS has also stated, the NEC is particularly significant for
leatherbacks because it provides "the only pristine nesting habitat extensive
enough to allow for future recovery of the species in Puerto Rico" [see
photo #9]. This fact has been corroborated by the Puerto Rican Department
of Natural and Environmental Resources, who has monitored leatherback
turtles on this area for the last 18 years, identifying a record 400+
nests in 2003. Because these turtles nest in the same region they were
born, the use of this nesting beach in the future will continue to rise
dramatically - as long as these beaches are not disturbed.
International sea turtle management experts have also recognized the
NEC as an extremely important regional nesting ground for leatherbacks.
For example, on April 6, 2002, experts from all around the world participating
in the 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation specifically
requested the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to designate the NEC as a nature
reserve. Similarly, in August 2003, the Department of Biology of the
University of Puerto Rico signed a resolution opposing the construction
of the resorts currently proposed for the NEC and requested that this
area be protected in its natural state.
Hawksbill sea turtles are also known to nest on the NEC, although no
monitoring program is presently in place for the species in this area
to quantify their use [see photo #10]. Despite of this, local biologists have estimated
that there will be about twenty hawksbill nests in 2003, based on accidental
sightings recorded until recently. However, since significant nesting
activity for hawksbills is defined by as few as twenty turtles nesting
per year, the NEC may also be a prime nesting beach for this species,
as it is also for leatherbacks.
The global population of hawksbills sea turtles is declining or depleted
in 22 of the 26 geopolitical units where they are found. This decline
has drawn attention to the condition of individual populations of hawksbills
throughout their range. Like elsewhere, the hawksbill populations in
the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are depleted. These populations
will disappear if the current regime of exploitation and loss of habitat
continues. As with leatherbacks, hawksbills also return to their natal
beach or to the vicinity of these to nest, so it takes years to replenish
a nesting population once it has been depleted [see photo #11].
Because coastal development has already destroyed or degraded many miles
of nesting habitat in Puerto Rico and development pressures could lead
to further degradation, the USFWS has concluded that "key nesting
beaches in . . . Puerto Rico in particular should be identified and appropriate
measures taken to protect them". As a result, protecting areas such
as the NEC is critical if we want to rescue leatherback and hawksbill
sea turtles from the brink of extinction.
Threats - Why the proposed resorts would have devastating impacts
on sea turtles nesting in the NEC.
One of the most serious threats to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings
is the loss and degradation of habitat due to coastal development. This
is especially devastating for hawksbills, since this species place their
nests farther inland than leatherbacks, and as such, are closer and more
prone to any human impacts.
Residential or tourist use of nesting beaches, such as the ones proposed
on the NEC, can harm nesting turtles, incubating egg clutches, and hatchlings.
Females will abort nesting attempts if disturbed by nighttime human activity.
Disturbance has also reportedly caused turtles to shift their nesting
beaches, delay egg laying, and select poor nesting sites. Heavy pedestrian
traffic will compress sand above the nests, resulting in lower hatchling
emergence success rates. Pedestrian tracks also interfere with the ability
of hatchlings to reach the ocean. Increased development also brings dogs
to the beaches, which prey on hatchlings. All of these potential impacts
are expected on various degrees of severity over the sea turtles nesting
at the NEC, if the San Miguel-Four Seasons Resort and Dos Mares-J.W.
Marriott Resort are approved for this area.
The most dire consequence on sea turtles from the construction of these
resorts, however, would be from inevitable light, which from great distances,
can decimate nesting beaches. Extensive research has demonstrated that
the principal component of the sea finding behavior of emergent hatchlings
is a visual response to light. As such, artificial beachfront lighting
from buildings, streetlights, dune crossovers, vehicles, and other types
of beachfront lights disorient (loss of bearings) and misorient (incorrect
orientation) hatchling and adult turtles. The level of artificial light
brightness needed to deter nesting or misorient hatchlings varies greatly
with the level of ambient light (moonlight) and with the availability
of other visual cues. Given the severe impacts from light pollution and
the uncertainty over how to measure acceptable light, light pollution
should be minimized as much as possible. No matter what protective measures
are implemented, building the massive resorts proposed near the NEC beaches
- and thus adding thousands of residents and tourists to this now isolated
area - will increase lighting significantly. The increased light pollution
from these proposed massive resorts will have devastating effects on
one of the most significant leatherback nesting beaches in the Caribbean.
Conservation and monitoring is essential to ensure the long-term stability
of sea turtle populations; however, the destruction of critical habitats
has the potential to impede such conservation efforts. The USFWS has
indicated that the long term protection of [Caribbean leatherback] populations
is vital to ensure the continued existence of the species. This takes
special significance when one considers the concerns expressed by many
international sea turtle management experts attending the 22nd Annual
Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, held in 2002. Biologist
attending this conference stated on a signed petition that "we strongly
believe that the coastal development [San Miguel-Four Seasons Resort
and Dos Mares J.W. Marriot Resort] of these beaches [referring to the
NEC] will adversely affect the survival and possible recovery of this
species [the Leatherback sea turtle] regionwide."
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#1. Pre-columbian coastal forest
(bosque costero-loma)
#2. Bloodwood swamp forest (Pterocarpus officinalis)
#3. Laguna Aguas Prietas Bioluminiscent Lagoon (laguna aguas prietas)
#4. Mangrove forest at Juan Martín River Outlet (Desembocadura Juan Martin)
#5. Northeastern Ecological Corridor with El Yunque Rain Forest on the Background (Corredor Paulinas)
#6. White-crowned pigeon ( Columba leucocephala); White cheecked pintail ( Anas bahamensis),
West Indian Manatee ( Trichechus manatus), Brown Pelican
#7. Leatherback sea turtle returning to the ocean after laying her eggs (tinglar regresando al mar)
#8. Leatherback seaturtle nesting (tinglar anidando)
#9. NEC beach at El Convento area (playa corredor [convento])
#10. Hawksbill sea turtle (carey)
#11. Tracks left by Leatherback seaturtle after laying her eggs (huellas tinglar)
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