Environmental Law Institute - National Wetlands Awards

Roberto Viqueira is the founder of the nonprofit Protectores de Cuencas (Watershed Protectors), a science and community-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting wetland conservation and restoration throughout Puerto Rico. After serving as the coordinator for the Guánica Bay Watershed, which was designated the first U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative site in 2009, he has expanded his work to wetland sites across Puerto Rico. Through partnerships and leveraging over $7 million in funding from numerous federal and local agencies, he has reduced pollution to the Guánica Bay by preserving Guánica Lagoon, creating sewage treatment wetlands, and launching the “Think Before You Drop It” campaign with NOAA to reduce marine debris. He also promotes sustainable agricultural practices such as shade-grown coffee through the development of a certification program and has helped develop a regionally adapted hydroseed for shoreline stabilization, beach restoration, and habitat rehabilitation.