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Alejandra “Ale” Sanchez-Rios is an upper-ocean physical oceanographer whose research focuses on the interplay between ocean mixing, stratification, and sound. Her work examines how along-isopycnal temperature–salinity variability (“spice”) shapes ocean structure and influences acoustic propagation, particularly in dynamically active regions.

Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, she completed her undergraduate studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), where she developed a foundation in oceanography and field-based research. Her background includes observational and analytical work across diverse ocean environments, from high-latitude systems to subtropical gyres, with experience in ship-based campaigns, autonomous platforms, and microstructure measurements.

She integrates observations from Seagliders, Wirewalkers, and turbulence profilers to investigate how fine-scale variability emerges and evolves, and how it impacts larger-scale ocean dynamics. As an early-career faculty member, she is building a research program that connects physical oceanography with acoustics to improve understanding and predictability of complex ocean environments.