Marine Mycology

A summary of the works that have been done on the field of marine mycology in Puerto Rico and they are known only by a small group of specialists. General aspects of the most studied fungal groups in the coasts of the island are also mentioned, based on their habitat and substrates. The most studied groups included but are not exclusively limited to marine, estuarine, geophilic, pathogenic, arenicolous, alguicolous, lignicolous and manglicolous fungi.

Two species of Cladosporium (C. oxysporum and C. sphaerospermum) were isolated from surface coastal seawater based on their ability to use the polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) naphthalene (C10H8) and phenanthrene (C14H10) as sole carbon and energy source. Although both Cladosporium spp. are cosmopolitan species, both species are new records to mangrove forests of Puerto Rico.  These two species may be of value in the bioremediation of natural oil spills or other contaminants in tropical environments.