Martinez is responsible for developing, implementing and managing competitive research programs focused on addressing issues that hinder the holistic management of coastal ecosystems and developing methodology to prevent, control and mitigate harmful algal blooms.
At the University of Puerto Rico, Martinez’s Master’s focused on the reproductive biology of hermaphroditic coral reef fishes, Martinez received formal training in all four core areas of Oceanography, those being Biological, Chemical, Physical and Geological. After his M.S. Martinez worked as a research manager for StarKist Tuna for almost 4 years before returning to graduate school. He then moved on to conduct and complete his doctoral dissertation at Ohio State University. At OSU, he worked on the behavioral ecology of larval coral reef fishes. As a Ph.D. student, Martinez taught courses in Limnology, Plankton Biology, Aquatic Biology, Fisheries Ecology, and Antarctic Ecology and Policy.
Martinez received his Bachelor degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Marine Science from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. He completed his doctoral dissertation at Ohio State University.