National Geographic Explorer, Conservationist, Researcher

Renato Saragoça Bruno is a National Geographic Explorer, conservationist, and researcher dedicated to community-based wildlife stewardship. Through his work, he seeks to better understand, communicate, and address the challenges facing endangered species while supporting the communities that depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.

He holds an MSc from Southeastern Louisiana University and a PhD from the University of Florida. Bruno began his career in the Brazilian Amazon, where his work in fisheries management sparked a lasting interest in the sustainable use of natural resources by traditional communities. This perspective shaped his approach to conservation and led him from the rivers of the Amazon to the Caribbean coast of Central America.

Since 2013, Bruno has focused on the conservation of Caribbean green turtles (Chelonia mydas), studying populations across nesting beaches in Costa Rica and foraging grounds in Nicaragua. His research examines how climate change, nutrition, and harvest pressures influence green turtle populations and their long-term resilience. His work is particularly significant in Nicaragua, where one of the largest remaining legal sea turtle fisheries in the Caribbean continues to operate, highlighting the complex relationship between conservation and local livelihoods.

In 2018, Bruno founded Turtle Love (@turtlelove.cr), a community-based conservation non-profit working along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Through research, education, and community engagement, the organisation supports local participation in wildlife conservation while promoting sustainable approaches to protecting marine ecosystems.

By combining scientific research with community-led conservation, Bruno works to develop solutions that benefit both wildlife and the people who share their landscapes and seascapes.