Bahía de Jobos facts for kids
Bahía de Jobos (which means Jobos Bay in English) is a special protected area in Aguirre, Puerto Rico. It's a type of watery place called an estuary, where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water.
This bay is a tropical home to many different natural areas. You'll find seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangrove forests here. The reserve covers about 1,140 hectares (that's like 2,800 football fields!). It has five main types of habitats and is a safe place for several endangered species.
Bahía de Jobos is one of 28 special reserves that are part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The reserve works together with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) to protect this important area.
The Story of Jobos Bay
Jobos Bay is located on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It sits between the towns of Salinas and Guayama. Long ago, much of the land around the bay was used for growing sugarcane. A big company called Aguirre Corporation had a large sugarcane farm and sugar mill here.
After the sugar industry slowed down, the sugar mill closed in 1980. The land around the bay is still owned by a private company. Bahía de Jobos became a National Estuarine Sanctuary in 1981. This means it became a protected area to help save its unique environment.
Over the years, the way people use the land around Jobos Bay has changed. More towns and homes have been built. This can affect the natural flow of water into the bay. However, the private lands near Jobos Bay are still mostly undeveloped. This makes them very important for the bay's health.
Amazing Nature of Jobos Bay
Jobos Bay is a tropical estuary with five main types of natural areas. These areas change as you move from the ocean towards the land. They include:
- Coral reefs
- Seagrass beds
- Mangrove forests
- Mudflats
- Evergreen littoral forests (forests near the coast)
Jobos Bay is the second largest estuary in Puerto Rico by its total size. It's also the largest by how much coastline it has. The mangrove forests in Jobos Bay are very important. They make up about 42.6% of all the mangroves on the south coast of Puerto Rico.
This special bay is home to many different animals and plants. At least seven endangered species live in Bahía de Jobos. This shows how important it is to protect this beautiful natural area.
See also
In Spanish: Bahía de Jobos para niños
