November SPEAKER: WHAT LIES BENEATH – THE SECRET SAUCE OF SEAGRASS
DR. RACHEL HARRIS,
DR. MADDISON MELCHIONNA and
SARAH MARMION
Seagrass by Benjamin L. Jones at projectseagrass.org
Bring a friend and join SFDI for an unforgettable evening of discovery beneath the water!
Join SFDI Wednesday, November 4th for an exciting Evening!
What makes some seagrass meadows thrive while others struggle? Join SFDI on Wednesday, November 4th, as we explore the hidden world of tiny organisms that live alongside seagrass and may help these important underwater plants to stay healthy and resilient. Two Palm Beach Atlantic University professors and a local conservation leader will share with us a behind-the-scenes look at research being conducted in conjunction with Friends of Manatee Lagoon. Researchers are comparing healthy and stressed seagrass from the Loxahatchee River and Lake Worth Lagoon, as well as seagrass grown in nursery settings, to better understand what helps these plants survive and flourish. We will discover how this work could lead to better restoration strategies and give transplanted seagrass a stronger chance to thrive throughout South Florida.
Make it stand out
ABOUT DR. RACHEL HARRIS
Dr. Rachel J. Harris is an Assistant Professor of Biology and Oceanography at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA), specializing in coastal and estuarine ecology with a focus on habitat dynamics and environmental stressors. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Environmental Studies from Florida Atlantic University, an M.Sc. in Environmental Science from Florida Gulf Coast University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Waikato, New Zealand.
Dr. Harris’s research examines how environmental stressors—including eutrophication (when mineral and nutrient rich water cause excessive plant and algae growth), contamination, and water quality degradation—affect the structure and function of critical coastal habitats. She has published in over 17 international, peer-reviewed scientific journals, with work emphasizing biotic–abiotic interactions in estuarine systems, the fate of contaminants in shallow benthic environments, and the resilience and restoration of marine habitats.
Her applied research has included extensive work in South Florida, where she investigated seagrass health and water quality in the Jupiter region, Florida’s West Coast, and the Florida Keys. Through this work, she has helped advance strategies for habitat restoration and the management of stress impacts on coastal ecosystems.
At PBA, Dr. Harris teaches biology as well as marine and environmental sciences, while continuing to pursue research on coastal habitat resilience, restoration ecology, and the responses of mangrove, seagrass, and sponge systems to stress.
ABOUT DR. MADDISON MELCHIONNA
Dr. Maddison Melchionna is an Assistant Professor of Biology at PBA, specializing in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from The University of Tennessee (UT)-Chattanooga and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology from UT-Knoxville. Dr. Melchionna’s research investigates the molecular mechanisms that bacteria use to sense and respond to environmental stress. Her work combines genetic, biochemical, and biophysical tools to understand how cells achieve membrane homeostasis in changing environments. At PBA, Dr. Melchionna integrates this research into her upper-level Molecular and Microbiology laboratory courses, providing undergraduates with unique opportunities in experimental design, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry.
ABOUT SARAH MARMION
Sarah Marmion is the executive director of Friends of Manatee Lagoon, an independent nonprofit that raises resources to advance environmental education, conservation, and community engagement. FOML funds exhibits, events, research programs, and outreach -- both at Manatee Lagoon, An FPL Eco-Discovery Center and throughout the region. The nonprofit’s initiatives are designed to protect manatees and their habitats, restore critical seagrass ecosystems, and inspire public action for Lake Worth Lagoon's marine life. Sarah recently retired from FPL where she led the company’s education programs throughout the state, focusing on K-12 STEM and workforce development. She also helped design and open FPL’s Manatee Lagoon center, running it for the first six years of its operation, and she has watched it become one of the most popular environmental education centers in SE Florida.
