The Trust is

SCIENCE

About

Serving Vieques For 40 Years

In honor of our 40th anniversary, we invite you to donate $40 to celebrate 40 years of protecting and preserving the Bioluminescent Bay and to allow us to continue our crucial work of restoration.

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A Film By

Operation Glow

Our tiny Caribbean island, known for its rich biodiversity, faces significant challenges, particularly from increasingly severe hurricanes that threaten its unique ecosystems.

VCHT’s most important responsibility is the care and preservation of Mosquito Bay, celebrated as the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay. This natural wonder, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually from around the globe, is crucial for both ecological balance and local tourism.

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About

Bioluminescent Bay

Puerto Mosquito Bioluminescent Bay is considered the brightest and most pristine in the world. Its conservation is part of our mission.

One of the primary goals is to preserve and study the bioluminescent bays found on the island.

Since its founding the VCHT has been involved in scientific and technical work that supports its conservation. We assist the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources as co-managers of the reserve, in erosion and sedimentation control, water quality monitoring and dinoflagellate counts.

We need your help to protect this natural resource

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Our Partners

NOAA

MANGROVE PROJECT

Worker digging soil and planting new trees in mangrove restoration project

Hurricane Maria caused almost total mortality of the mangroves in these areas which give the mouth of the bay its characteristic meandering shape, which in turn, protects the Pyrodinium bahamense bloom from washing out into the sea.

Drs Elvira Cuevas and Ernesto Medina, the scientists who conducted the post-storm assessment of the mangrove forest in Puerto Mosquito and its potential for recovery recommended reforestation to begin as soon as possible in the areas of total mangrove mortality, since it could take between 15 – 30 years for the areas to recuperate naturally.

Help us save the Mangroves

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Bird Walk

Birding With The Trust

Vieques is a Birdlife International Important Bird Area. Due to large tracts of intact habitat, Vieques is a critical stop over, a wintering area for North American shorebirds, other migrants, and resident birds of conservation concern.

Birding With The Trust contributes to public education via bird walks, talks, and student programs. We also contribute to science by conducting annual bird surveys, breeding bird, shorebird, waterbird surveys, and the Christmas Bird Count.

Learn more about bird conservation, education and community involvement.

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Community Programs

News and Announcements

Latest News

Bird Notes from Vieques Spring 2026

Highlights from the Spring which covers the northward migration period from March to May are several rare bird sightings including an island first record. The rarest sighting of the season was a Wilson’s Storm-Petrel for an island first record observed on 28 April 2026 from the beach at Boca Quebrada by Annie Meyer and Sasha Robinson. A photograph of Puerto Rican Mango on 15 May 2026 at Playa El Gallito by Clarence Toh established the second confirmed record for this ext

1 day ago