Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane on September 20, 2017. Puerto Rico is still recovering from the damage to the infrastructure and basic services after this devastating hurricane. Our Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo had extensive damage to its walls, floor, computers, materials, and furniture. The lab is in the process now of a complete rebuild that might take a few weeks or even months. Most of the structural damage to the lab should be covered by FEMA, the insurance, and the university. However, about $14k of damage to our furniture, computers, and scientific materials might not be covered. The PHL has been providing scientific and educational tools in the last 7 years to scientists, educators, and the general public. Its two most popular projects are the Visible Paleo-Earth and the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog. We want to continue this and other projects together with our students and colleagues from Puerto Rico and elsewhere. Any help is appreciated to rebuild our lab and continue its operation in the following months.
 The artistic image above, X-mas Planets, was created to celebrate the first year of our Habitable Exoplanets Catalog. Since then, the image has been widely used by scientists, educators, and media to illustrate the diversity of potentially habitable worlds. For questions or to report any problems contact phl.upr.edu@gmail.com |
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(CC) Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, 2018