Full story

Our friend, colleague and alumni of the Dept of Biology at the Univ. of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, need our help.

The island of Puerto Rico has been devastated by two sequential category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria.  Irma was kind and allowed PR to assist people stranded in the US Virgin Islands and other surrounding smaller islands, but Maria dealt a devastating blow to PR.

There is no fuel, water, power, no phone/internet, all services have come to a halt. A fraction of the island’s hospitals are open and at these, due to the lack of fuel, people requiring life support units are dying.  There was a single death that we know of during Maria, the handling of the Maria aftermath is claiming lives.

The buildings of the University of PR, like the department of Biology, have been severely damaged. Roofs have fallen, laboratories and classroom are flooded, computers, scientific equipment, files are water damaged.  Generators put in place to keep freezer operating during the hurricane have ceased to work due to lack of fuel.

Toxic mold is growing inside bldgs, bacteria is proliferating from uncollected garbage and poor sanitary conditions due to lack of water and mosquitoes will soon make their presence felt.  Deepening the health crisis on the Island.

The plant life and agriculture on PR has been decimated.  Banana farms flattened to the ground, avocadoes, mangos, coffee and other crops devastated.There is nothing available for bees to forage on.  

There are many towns, especially in the mountainous center of the island, that have not been reached by help.  Bridges and roads that connected town have been damaged or destroyed.

Please forward this to other colleagues who can assist in requesting funds to support rebuilding the department.

We thank you for your assistance to Puerto Rico in this hour of need.