In order to assess whether U.S. Department of Agriculture best management practices in Puerto Rico benefit water quality around coral reefs, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Science has completed the second of two reports that establish the conditions of the water, plants, and animals in Jobos Bay.

This snapshot of the bay can be used in the future to determine if farming, power plants, pharmaceutical companies, or an expanding landfill within the bay's watershed have any connection with declining coral reefs.

In addition to characterizing the life in Jobos Bay, scientists also determined the levels of nutrients and contaminants in its sediments and water. Other partners and beneficiaries of the reports' results are the Office of Coastal Resource Management, who runs the Jobos Bay Estuarine Research Reserve, and the government of Puerto Rico.

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Read a synopsis here.