Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Yolas are indigenous fishing boats constructed by specific members of coastal communities in Puerto Rico. The knowledge of how to build and fish with yolas is passed down through generations and is considered traditional knowledge. The yola has formed an important part of the culture in Aguadilla and Rincón, Puerto Rico, but this piece of culture is being lost as younger generations are not using these boats. Youth in these communities are using larger fishing boats, which can go faster and farther out, but in turn they are not learning how to build traditional boats. In addition, these fishing communities are facing various challenges including coastal erosion, over-development of the coast, and fish migration away from the shoreline. These challenges are adversely affecting the elders of the fishing community, and contributing to a loss of knowledge by deterring youth from using traditional boats. For my project, I created a multimedia storymap utilizing pictures, audio, and video in order to tell the story of the ‘yolero’ community in Aguadilla and Rincón, Puerto Rico.

Please see the links below for the full project: 

English: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6960e77660474c01803ee2f835494c74

Spanish: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4436f648c56d492189c78a085f111bfb