Rosa Elisa Rodríguez-Martínez is a researcher at the Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales of the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), based in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo. Her work focuses on reef ecology and the impacts and management of pelagic Sargassum.

Since 2014, massive influxes of pelagic Sargassum have affected the Mexican Caribbean coast, prompting Rodríguez-Martínez to investigate its ecological, health, and economic consequences. Her research has revealed that Sargassum contains high levels of arsenic, heavy metals, and microplastics, posing significant risks to human health, marine life, and coastal ecosystems while also limiting its potential for valorization.

She has documented the severe impacts of Sargassum brown tides on nearshore Caribbean seagrass communities, as well as mass die-offs of marine organisms in Quintana Roo’s coastal waters due to hypoxic conditions and water quality degradation caused by Sargassum decomposition. Additionally, she has studied the hydrogen sulfide emissions produced during decomposition, highlighting that exposure to these gases poses health risks to workers involved in Sargassum removal.

Through her extensive research, Rodríguez-Martínez has significantly advanced the understanding of the Sargassum crisis in the Caribbean, providing critical insights for mitigation and management strategies.