CIAM 6117 Sea Grant proposal assignment Oct 2015

1. UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
RÍO PIEDRAS CAMPUS
C I A M - 6 1 1 7
P R O F . L O R E T T A R O B E R S O N
A I L E E N A P O N T E
L U I S A V I L E S
A N G E L A W H I T L E Y
Rate of Change of Mangrove Forests Extension
along the Northern Coast of Puerto Rico after the
Puerto Rico Tourism Incentive Act of 1993

2. Research Problem
 Measure the impact of real estate tourism development incentive
regulations on the mangrove forest extension along the northern
coast of Puerto Rico and test the effectiveness of mangrove
conservation regulations in protecting the selected mangrove
forest case studies.

3. Goals and Objectives
 To understand the impact of tax-incentives legislation on the
management of coastal resources by conducting a case study centered
around the passage of the Tourism Incentive Act of 1993 (Act).
 Measure the rate of change in mangrove forests extension along the
northern coast of Puerto Rico (Piñones, Manatí and Northeast Ecological
Corridor in Luquillo) .
 Compare aerial photos of the studied areas ten years before the Act
(1983-1992) and ten years after to the Act (1994-2003) and calculate the
rate of change over those periods of time.
 To suggest remote sensing and GIS technologies as effective management
methods in the area of the study.

5. Methodology
 The three areas of study selected are: Piñones, Vega Alta/Dorado and
Northeast Ecological Corridor in Luquillo .
 Use GIS and Landsat 8 images to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in
mangrove forest in these areas ten years before the Tourism Incentive Act of
1993 (1983-1992) and ten years after the Act (1994-203) and in the actual
year 2015.
 Analyze the mangrove coverage on a yearly basis during the selected periods
and calculate the rate of change.
 Correlate the mangrove forest cover data to the current mangrove
conservation regulations to test their effectiveness in protecting mangrove
forests.
 Suggest if remote sensing and GIS technologies may be more effective
mangroves management and monitoring tools than the ones currently used
by regulators.

6. Activities
 Obtain the Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessments
of the tourism development projects in the studied sites in order to assess
the effectiveness of current regulations in protecting the mangrove forests.
 We will share our findings with regulators and provide recommendations or
data they can use to aid in mangrove protection management.
 Provide educational workshops to the communities surrounding the studied
mangrove sites in order to empower them in the benefits of protecting
mangrove ecosystems and community involvement in regulatory action
related to the development of tourism projects.
 The time it will require us to conduct our research will be 1 year: 6 months
to collect data and 6 months to analyze it and divulge it.

7. Potential Benefits
 This investigation could provide an objective evaluation on the pressures
caused by tax incentive laws and similar real estate development laws to the
current system of coastal resource management regulations, using mangrove
forest cover as a proxy for such evaluation.
 If the current regulations do not prove to be effective in the conservation and
protection of mangrove ecosystems in relation to the anthropogenic forces of
tourism development, new resource management strategies should be
evaluated by lawmakers in order to restore balance between development and
conservation of coastal resources.
 In addition, by obtaining the EIS and EA documentation of the tourism
development projects of our selected site we can compare the current
conditions of this site to see if regulations were met and are currently being
honored.

8. Budget Summary
 Personnel
 We have requested stipend support ($9,000 each) for two graduate students
Year 1. We request $5000 to support the services of Dr. ABC an expert in GIS
mapping who will spend 100 hours preparing the maps at a rate per hour of $50.
 Travel
 The travel budget shall consist of matching funds from the UPR. PI and the 2
graduate students request (each) 1 round-trip coach airfare ($1,000) and a four
night stay at a hotel in San Francisco, CA in order to present the results of the
investigation at the XYZ conference during the Summer 2017.

9. Budget Summary
 Equipment
 A total of $7,500 is requested to purchase equipment essential to this project. The
investigation needs one concurrent ArcGIS® for Desktop Advanced License from
ESRI and laptop computer at a cost of $5,000. Matching funds for a total of 2
laptops for the graduate students and a color printer will be provided by the UPR.
 Expendable Supplies & Equipment
 We are not requesting budget items in this category.
 Indirect Costs
 The indirect costs are calculated as 48.8% of Direct Costs, the current rate of
UPR, less student stipends/travel and permanent equipment ($3,196 total).

10. References
 Carter, H. N., Steffen, S. And Hiruns, A.C.(2015). An international Assesment of Mangrove Management Incorporation in Integrated
Coastal Zone Management. Diversity,7, 74-104. doi:10.3390/d7020074.
 Cintrón Martínez, A. (2008). Plan de manejo y conservación del litoral de la zona de mangle en la laguna San José pararesiliencia al
aumento del nivel del mar. Ph D Universidad de Puerto Rico. Escuela graduada de Planificación.
 Cole, J. N. (1997). The magic of mangroves. Audubon , 99 (2), 46-53.
 Davis, B. E., and Quinn N,(2004). Using GIS in human impact analysis of mangroves. South Pacifica Journal or Nature, 22, 1-11.
 DRNA.(Diciembre 1990). Recursos Naturales Educa: Inventario de los manglares de Puerto Rico y el manejo de estos sistemas.Folleto
Informativo, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, Departamento de Recursos Naturales, San Juan, P.R.
 Junta de Calidad Ambiental. (18 de Octubre del 1974). Resolución sobre los manglares para implementar la política pública a seguirse.
Estado libre Asociado de Puerto Rico/ oficina del gobernador, Junta de Calidad Ambiental, San Juan, P.R.
 Lugo, A. (1973). Ecology of mangroves. (C. o. Rico, Ed.) Puerto Rico, Puerta de Tierra: Department of natural resources.
 Lugo, A., Brown, S., & Brinson, M. M. Concepts in wetland ecology. Puerto Rico.
 Long, J., Neapton, D., Giri, C., and Graesser, J. (2014). A mapping and monitoring assesment of the Philippines mangrove forests from
1990 to 2010. Journal of Coastal Researc, 30(20), 260-271. Coconut Creek, Florida.
 Manassrisuksi, K., Werr, M. And Hussin, Y. A.(2001). Assesment of mangrove rehabilitation program using remote sensing and GIS: A
case study of Amphur Khlung, Chantaburi Province, Eastern Thailand. Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP),
National University of Singapore; Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV); Asian Association on Remote Sensing (AARS).
 Martinuzzi, S., Gould W. A, Lugo, A., Medina, E. (2009). Conversion and recovery of Puerto Rican mangroves: 200 years of change.
Elsevier, 257, pp. 75-84.
 Patterson Zucca, C. (1978). The effect of road construction on a mangrove ecosystem. Ceiba, Puerto Rico: PhD diss,University of Puerto
Rico.
 Pérez Otero , J. J. (4 de Octubre de 2007). Medicinas en el mar. El Nuevo Día .
 Primavera, J. H. (2005). Mangroves, Fishponds and the Quest for Sustainability. Science , 310 (5745), 57-59.

11. Questions?
 Thanks!