Melissa Deinys, a University of Central Florida (UCF) researcher specializing in fungal pathogens affecting coastal ecosystems held a “Florida Mangrove Pathogen Information Session” at the Marine Resources Council’s Ted Moorehead Lagoon House in Palm Bay, Florida on Friday, May 3, 2024.
The focus of the mangrove pathogen session was to gather information on the fungal pathogen recently discovered in the Indian River Lagoon mangrove forests. Coastal land managers were invited to share insights and strategies on how to combat these fungal infections effectively.
About Melissa Deinys
Melissa’s journey in this field began during her tenure at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where she first identified the pathogens afflicting mangroves. Since then, she has dedicated herself to studying and addressing this issue. Over the years, she has conducted extensive surveys, covering over 100 miles of coastline in both the Indian River Lagoon and Miami areas.