Puerto Rico Coastal Watch
Puerto Rico’s coasts belong to the public. This project documents and maps reported cases of blocked beach access, illegal construction, and development in protected coastal areas across the island. It turns scattered reporting into a public record that helps people see where coastal pressure is happening, what type of issue is being reported, and how those cases evolve over time. Through a map, case pages, and a latest reporting feed, the platform is designed to make coastal issues more visible, easier to follow, and easier to understand.
Cases
12
Municipalities
9
Latest
13
Latest reporting
This article documents the ongoing construction progress of the Moncayo development project in Fajardo through aerial and ground-level photographs. The report shows large-scale land clearing and active earth movement in coastal areas near environmentally sensitive zones in...
Read linked caseThis independent post warns that large-scale development pressure is not only happening in Cabo Rojo with Esencia, but also expanding into Río Grande, Fajardo, and Luquillo. The post suggests that future coastal projects in eastern Puerto Rico could significantly transform...
Read linked caseFederal prosecutors confirmed illegal construction and wetland filling inside the protected Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Salinas. The case involved environmental alteration of federally protected wetlands used by endangered species such as manatees and...
Read linked caseThis article reports that legislators from the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) warned that Governor Jenniffer González’s proposed permit reform could weaken protections for Puerto Rico’s coastal zones. According to the article, the reform would redefine the “Zona...
Read reportingThe article states that the proposed Esencia megaproject threatens ecosystems in Cabo Rojo, including mangroves, fisheries, and wildlife habitats. The project area sits near protected ecological zones connected to the Boquerón State Forest and wildlife sanctuaries....
Read linked caseThis article reports that infrastructure construction in Rincón would pass directly through the protected Tres Palmas Marine Reserve. The project includes concrete paving, retaining walls, utilities, and construction over filled wetlands in an active coastal erosion zone....
Read linked caseLegal framework
Read the legal basics behind the map: why beach access is public, how the maritime-terrestrial zone works, and why permits, dunes, mangroves, reefs, and other protected coastal systems matter in shoreline disputes.
Public access
Under Puerto Rico law, beach access is free and open to the public. Cases involving gates, barriers, or restrictions are read against that public-access baseline, not only against adjacent private property claims.
Maritime-terrestrial zone
Puerto Rico coastal law treats the maritime-terrestrial zone as part of the public coastal domain. Many disputes turn on whether an access barrier, structure, or intervention affects that public strip.
Permits and enforcement
Construction in sensitive coastal areas can trigger permits, environmental review, and agency enforcement. Puerto Rico policy also aims to avoid damage to dunes, mangroves, reefs, and other critical systems.
The public app shows only the legal context needed to understand cases. Full citations and explanatory material live in a dedicated reference page.
Read legal framework