Beyond Vessel Removal: Three Years of Progress on Isla Mar's Marine Debris Project
- Jul 29
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 11
When an abandoned vessel is removed from the water, the work is far from over. Each removal marks another step toward healthier coastal ecosystems while creating new opportunities for education, collaboration, and community engagement.
Since launching the Marine Debris Project in 2023, Isla Mar has worked alongside local and federal partners to address one of Puerto Rico's most persistent sources of large-scale marine debris: abandoned and derelict vessels. Supported by a 2022 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the project combines vessel removal, interagency collaboration, environmental education, and public outreach to reduce the long-term impacts of marine debris across the island.
As of July 2026, 37 abandoned and derelict vessels have been removed from Puerto Rico's waters, with removal efforts continuing through early 2028.
Project Progress
Abandoned and derelict vessels present serious challenges for Puerto Rico's coastal ecosystems. They can damage coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove habitats while creating navigational hazards and contributing to additional marine debris over time.
Removing these vessels requires months of planning, coordination, permitting, environmental assessments, specialized equipment, and collaboration among multiple organizations. Every successful removal represents the combined efforts of scientists, contractors, government agencies, and conservation professionals working toward a shared goal: protecting Puerto Rico's coastal resources.
The project remains on schedule, with additional vessel removals planned throughout the coming months as work continues across the island. Vessels have been removed from the following municipalities: Lajas, Cabo Rojo, Aguadilla, Isabela, Fajardo, and San Juan.
Coordinating an Island-Wide Effort
Projects of this scale depend on strong collaboration behind the scenes.
Katie Flynn serves as Project Manager for Isla Mar's Marine Debris Project, coordinating vessel removal operations, partner collaboration, educational initiatives, project reporting, and communications throughout the life of the project.
The project brings together expertise from multiple organizations. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) provides essential coordination and regulatory support. HJR Reefscaping contributes expertise in coral reef restoration and pre- and post-removal assessments. Reel E. Good Sea Services leads vessel removal operations, while Puerto Rico Sea Grant supports community engagement and educational outreach.
Together, these partnerships ensure that marine debris removal is approached through science, collaboration, and long-term stewardship.
Engaging the Next Generation
Marine debris removal is only one part of the project's broader mission. Helping communities understand why these efforts matter is equally important.
Earlier this year, approximately 42 students from four schools in Fajardo participated in Creating Art, Cleaning the Sea, an educational art competition that challenged students to transform materials recovered during vessel removals into original works of art.
Using recovered ropes, chains, boating equipment, and other marine debris, students explored the environmental impacts of abandoned vessels while communicating conservation messages through creativity.
The winning artwork, "Puerto Rico Breathes... But It's Drowning," created by students from Escuela Inés Encarnación, was later exhibited during the 4th Coral Reef Week Family Symposium at Parque de las Ciencias in Bayamón, where visitors had the opportunity to learn about the project and the environmental challenges posed by marine debris.
The competition demonstrated how environmental education can extend beyond the classroom by connecting students directly to local conservation efforts and encouraging them to become advocates for Puerto Rico's marine ecosystems.
Art That Continues the Conversation
Puerto Rican sculptor Julián Ortiz Font has been transforming recovered marine debris into public sculptures that invite residents and visitors to reflect on the relationship between people and the ocean. Created from materials recovered during vessel removals, these installations serve as lasting reminders that objects once left behind in the marine environment can become powerful tools for education and conservation.
Two sculptures have been installed, a sea turtle in Aguadilla and a manatee in Salinas. Two additional sculptures are planned for Dorado and Fajardo, expanding opportunities for communities across Puerto Rico to engage with the issue of marine debris through public art.
Preventing Marine Debris Through Boater Education
Removing abandoned and derelict vessels addresses an existing problem, but prevention is another important part of reducing their long-term impacts.
Through A Navegar Bonito, Isla Mar is also working directly with Puerto Rico’s boating community to promote safer navigation practices and help prevent vessel groundings before they happen. Coordinated by Isla Mar workshop coordinator, Nilsa Camareno, the educational workshop series is designed for boat owners and captains and has been offered in Boquerón, Fajardo, Guayama, and Vega Baja, with additional workshops scheduled in September 2026 in Aguada, Boquerón and San Juan.
The workshops introduce participants to the characteristics and importance of Puerto Rico’s marine ecosystems while exploring common causes of vessel groundings, including weather conditions, mechanical problems, inadequate vessel maintenance, unfamiliarity with local waters, and failure to follow navigation guidelines. Participants also learn preventative measures, grounding response protocols, and strategies for navigating and securing vessels during adverse weather.
Hands-on instruction is an important component of the workshops. Participants practice basic techniques for everyday, long-term, and storm-related vessel mooring while learning about commonly used ropes, anchors, and anchoring systems. We have also provided participants with a free waterproof guide that reminds boaters of key preventive actions to take to prevent their vessel from becoming an ADV.
The workshops have brought together professionals with expertise in marine biology, environmental education, boating, and vessel-grounding response, including project Co-PI Dr. Nilda M. Jiménez Marrero, Coordinator of the Endangered Species Program at the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA); Capt. Marcos Hanke, a fisher and captain who leads the practical mooring exercises; and Sandra Schleier Hernández, a biologist, science educator and communicator, and Grounding Response Coordinator with DRNA’s Coral Reef Conservation and Management Program.
Participants are also introduced to Puerto Rico’s vessel-grounding response framework and the responsibilities associated with navigating around sensitive marine habitats, helping connect safe boating practices with the protection of coral reefs and other coastal ecosystems.
Taking the Message Beyond the Workshop
This direct engagement with boaters was complemented by a separate traveling digital billboard campaign, Estableciendo las bases para un Puerto Rico libre de desechos marinos, also coordinated by Nilsa Camareno with project partner HJR Reefscaping.
Implemented from June through December 2025, the campaign brought visual educational messages directly to locations and events frequented by Puerto Rico’s boating and fishing communities. The billboards focused on marine ecosystem conservation and preventing vessel groundings, extending the project’s educational reach beyond formal workshops.
A total of 14 strategic billboard activities were completed during the campaign, reaching over 8,000 participants and helping bring prevention and conservation messages directly to communities that interact with Puerto Rico’s coastal waters.
Looking Ahead
With vessel removals continuing through early 2028, the Marine Debris Project will continue advancing its goals through restoration, education, collaboration, and community engagement.
Future efforts will include additional vessel removals, continued educational programming, expanded public art installations, and ongoing collaboration with partners committed to protecting Puerto Rico's coastal ecosystems.
As the project progresses, Isla Mar looks forward to sharing new milestones and continuing to demonstrate how collaborative conservation efforts can create lasting benefits for both people and the environment.
Project by the Numbers
37 abandoned and derelict vessels removed (as of July 2026)
42 students participated in Creating Art, Cleaning the Sea
4 schools from Fajardo joined the art competition
4 art sculptures to be created from recycled materials
Over 8,000 people reached during mobile billboard outreach
Five boater workshops given, three more planned, reaching an average of 40 participants per workshop
2028 anticipated completion of the project
Project Partners
This project is made possible through funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, and collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), Puerto Rico Sea Grant, HJR Reefscaping, Reel E. Good Sea Services.
This project is supported by a 2022 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program.
