[1] She started the National Collection of Equinoderms in Mexico, the most important one in Latin America, which currently has at least 100.000 samples from 800 species from the Mexican coast[2][3][4] and participated in the foundation of the laboratory of hydrobiology of the Biology Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, currently known as "Marine Sciences and Limnology Institute".
During her childhood she also spent time with relevant Mexican personalities such as José Vasconcelos and Alfonso Reyes.
[8] Together with the Spanish professor Enrique Rioja Lobianco, who arrived in Mexico due to exile during the Spanish Civil War, she co-founded the laboratory of hydrobiology of the Biology Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
[9] She visited both the Atlantic and Pacific Mexican coast in search of echinoderms in the harsh conditions of her times and spent more than 50 years of her life to the study of these animals.
[2] María Elena Caso hold several professor and researcher positions at the National Autonomous University of Mexico during her career.