<p>Carmen Pérez de Andrés was the first conservator specialising in underwater cultural heritage who enabled the Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática ARQVA to begin its work in the conservation of this heritage and, specifically, of waterlogged archaeological wood. The study of archival documentation and her own publications have revealed that she implemented a new way of working at the museum, understanding the particularities of the underwater environment and its impact on archaeological materials and how the presence of the conservator was essential from the site itself. To this end, she led the Waterlogged Wood Conservation Project, outfitted the museum's first conservation laboratory, developing different conservation procedures, and designing the first freeze-dryer in Spain in 1987 when this equipment had not previously been applied to underwater cultural heritage conservation. The recent access to the underwater environment has prompted an increase in archaeological materials. Organic materials, specifically wood, have been recovered from underwater sites to a greater extent than from terrestrial sites, where they rarely survive. This pioneering woman has been forgotten, and this article aims to recover her legacy and highlight her value since it marks the beginning of waterlogged wood conservation at the museum.</p>