Melinda Martinez

PhD student in the Forestry and Natural Resources Department at North Carolina State University

Melinda received her Master of Science in Environmental Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi focusing on sediment accretion rates along the fringing salt marshes on a barrier island. Her interest in research generated from working with a non-profit organization in Akumal, Mexico, and then later focused more on wetlands due to the many environmental, economic, and social services they provide. Throughout her career she has worked offshore as a marine mammal observer on seismic vessels and interned with Ocean Exploration Trust. Currently her research focuses on detecting early warning signs of alternative stable states in coastal forested wetlands along Albemarle Pamlico Peninsula. She believes it’s important to experience different fields of research as well as different ecosystems to improve as a scientist. Her broad background in coastal and freshwater ecosystems is what has driven her to pursue a PhD with a focus on remote sensing as a tool for inventory and monitoring of the environment.