Elena Martínez, the oceanographer who is revolutionizing the Caribbean: from toxic sargassum to Galician innovation and recognition from Forbes.

Vigo (Pontevedra), 09/05/2026.- Three and a half years ago, the Galician oceanographer Elena Martínez moved to the Dominican Republic to work on a project that collects invasive algae to obtain compounds useful for fields such as agriculture or cosmetics, a project that has led her to be recognized on the Forbes list among the most influential young people in Europe. EFE/Salvador Sas The recognition given to Elena Martínez by the Forbes list of the most influential young Europeans in the Social Impact category highlights the progress of an industry that is redefining the value of marine waste. In just three and a half years, the researcher moved her area of activity from Galicia to the Dominican Republic to launch a project that transforms sargassum, known for its harmful effects in the Caribbean, into an industrial resource for sectors such as agriculture and cosmetics. This model not only mitigates environmental damage but also opens a sustainable path for thousands of fishing families affected. According to the EFE agency, the Forbes distinction reinforces the legitimacy of a business effort also oriented towards social and environmental benefits. The BlueGea model has already exported products derived from sargassum to more than 15 countries, a figure that, according to EFE, highlights the global dimension reached by an initiative that is less than four years old. The system uses technologies developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and allows the reuse of artisanal fishing boats by local fishermen for the collection of algae, operating in the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Mexico and Puerto Rico. This process transforms a toxic and discarded waste into a valuable raw material. The direct answer to the central question—what makes this initiative unique and what is its contribution—lies in the combination of biotechnological innovation and social impact. Martínez leads teams that extract useful compounds from sargassum, previously associated with fishing damage, toxic gases, and the displacement of native species. The work is aimed at obtaining agricultural products that regenerate soils and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, as well as extracts for cosmetics and inputs for other biotechnology companies, as Martínez herself stated to EFE. Vigo (Pontevedra), 09/05/2026.- Three and a half years ago, the Galician oceanographer Elena Martínez moved to the Dominican Republic to work on a project that collects invasive algae to obtain compounds useful for fields such as agriculture or cosmetics, a project that has led her to be recognized on the Forbes list among the most influential young people in Europe. EFE/Salvador Sas The BlueGea Group is composed of SOS Carbon, which is dedicated to collecting the invasive algae, SOS Biotech, which is responsible for its recycling, and the Terra & Marre Foundation to channel social action. The collection, organized with fishermen in the region, provides them with work during seasons when fishing is impossible due to the proliferation of sargassum. The collected material is dried, ground, and transported to laboratories and a small biorefinery in the Dominican Republic. There, they have developed and launched three agricultural products, which are marketed in the United States and are being certified for entry into the European market, Martínez explained in statements to EFE. The scope of the project is not limited to a single region or a single species of invasive algae. Currently, they are working to expand to Galicia, supported by the BF ClimaTech environmental accelerator of the Xunta and the Viratec company. One of their objectives is to reuse invasive species that affect Spain, such as the Asian 'rugulopteryx', replicating the model tested in the Caribbean to promote the economic and ecological development of the Galician coasts. Elena Martínez's career began far from the sea, in Ourense, the only Galician province without a coastline. She decided to study Oceanography at the University of Vigo and blue biotechnology at institutions such as the Universidad Católica de Valencia and La Rochelle in France. The convergence of this training and her meeting with Elena Martínez led to the creation of BlueGea. The intention, she expressed to EFE, is not to manufacture the final products in all cases, but to provide other biotechnology companies that can multiply the impact of the inventions achieved. The recent inclusion of Elena Martínez on the Forbes list aims to highlight the role that private companies oriented towards sustainability can play. "Ultimately, I believe that this is the change we need for the future," Martínez concluded in an interview with EFE.