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Jessica Castro-Prieto, PhD

Caribbean Conservation Coordinator 
jcastroprieto@refugeassociation.org, 787-518-2280

Jessica is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She supports projects identified as conservation priorities by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to advance existing work and further develop landscape conservation partnerships and initiatives that support National Wildlife Refuges, Threatened and Endangered Species, and At-Risk/Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Jessica was born in Colonia, Uruguay, but she has been living in Puerto Rico for several years. She has a Master’s degree in Ecology and a PhD in Environmental Sciences in the University of Puerto Rico. For her PhD research she quantified pressure from residential development and human population around protected areas in Puerto Rico. Her research interests include strategies for biodiversity conservation, and conservation planning. She is involved in relevant projects in Puerto Rico such as the long-term monitoring of sea turtles on the island and in the development and maintenance of the spatial inventory of Puerto Rico’s protected areas. Besides her work with the Refuge Association, Jessica has a part-time contract with the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, where she is working in the development of the first Breeding Bird Atlas for Puerto Rico, and the description of Provisional Ecological Sites. Jessica enjoys spending time with her two daughters and her husband in the outdoors and visiting her parent’s farm in Uruguay.

 
Featured
Turtles in Trouble: Giving Leatherback Sea Turtles A Fighting Chance
Turtles in Trouble: Giving Leatherback Sea Turtles A Fighting Chance

Leatherback Sea Turtles, the largest turtles in the world, are facing significant threats from climate change, habitat loss, and artificial lighting. These ocean giants, known for their incredible migration journeys, rely on a few crucial nesting sites to lay their eggs. The Refuge System plays a vital role in protecting these habitats. Discover how you can help protect Leatherback Sea Turtles and support our conservation initiatives.

Reducing Light Pollution From Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches In Puerto Rico
Reducing Light Pollution From Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches In Puerto Rico

As sea turtle nesting beaches become more urbanized, light pollution tops the list of deadly threats affecting these endangered species.

Leatherback Turtles Nesting Habitat Restoration in Puerto Rico
Leatherback Turtles Nesting Habitat Restoration in Puerto Rico

Jessica Castro-Prieto and her team recently completed the nesting reporting for the 2021 nesting season which extends from April to July. 1,545 leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests were reported, with the municipalities of Dorado, Añasco, Maunabo, Luquillo, and Arecibo accounting for 70 percent of the total nesting activity in the island.

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National Wildlife Refuge Association Updates From Across The Country

The National Wildlife Refuge Association’s staff has stayed busy throughout the country despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out their stories below to find out about the amazing work being done for our National Wildlife Refuge System.

Leatherback Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration In Puerto Rico
Leatherback Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration In Puerto Rico

The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER), and various community-based groups are working together to reduce major threats affecting leatherback nesting beaches around Puerto Rico with funding provided by the National Fish and Widlife Foundation (NFWF).

Working For Leatherback Sea Turtles During The COVID-19 Crisis
Working For Leatherback Sea Turtles During The COVID-19 Crisis

Puerto Rico has taken some of the most forceful steps of any U.S. jurisdiction to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. These mandates put a hold on our new project to restore nesting beaches for leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in Puerto Rico. In spite of the constraints, I am working on the project where possible. I have even enlisted my family in helping to collect and plant seeds that will eventually grow to plants that we will re-plant on nesting beaches to reduce erosion and as natural fences to avoid road kills.

National Wildlife Refuge Association's Work In Puerto Rico
National Wildlife Refuge Association's Work In Puerto Rico

Our work in Puerto Rico is diverse, all in support of wildlife conservation. Your support to the National Wildlife Refuge Association allows us to hire professional staff that can provide technical and administrative support to the National Wildlife Refuge System and adjoining lands to help protect and conserve critical habitats and endangered species.