Large-Scale Mangrove Restoration and Blue Carbon Voluntary Market Advancement in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Puerto Rico

The Ocean Foundation (TOF) is implementing a new large-scale mangrove restoration project in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the adjacent Aguirre State Forest to repair significant lingering damage caused by the 2017 hurricane season and hydrological alterations due to human development. Conducted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Merello Marine Consulting, local community members, BoriCorps, and NOAA, the project includes hydrological restoration and up to 1,445 acres of mangrove reforestation using the SAFE-Site (SAFE-S) method, which entails the creation of mangrove “dispersion centers” that enhance natural regeneration. TOF is working with the Smithsonian Institution on an eDNA study of fishery populations before, during, and after restoration. TOF is also pursuing certification of this project under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, which would make this the first mangrove “blue carbon” project in the United States and enable other carbon credit projects on public land in Puerto Rico. This project has included extensive soil sampling and above-ground biomass assessments using traditional field-based approaches as well as airborne LiDAR and 3D modeling. Overall, this mangrove restoration effort, the largest ever attempted in the United States, will contribute to building a “community of practice” that will catalyze additional large-scale coastal resilience projects via knowledge sharing, on-the-ground training, and expanded research opportunities. This project is also part of a larger “seascape” initiative that includes seagrass and coral restoration.