Conservation Clinical Researcher
Mariana Fragoso grew up in Lisbon, Portugal, by the ocean – where she spent her childhood captivated by wildlife documentaries and dreaming of living among fascinating animals. At university, she ran the Exotic and Wildlife Student Chapter so she could further her education in Wildlife Medicine and Conservation.
After taking a sabbatical to travel the world and gain hands-on experience with conservation projects, Dr Mariana graduated with an Integrated Master’s in Veterinary Medicine from Lisbon University in January 2019. Drawn to all things aquatic, her master’s research focused on dolphin conservation in Chilean Patagonia.
She also contributed to sea turtle nesting research in Cape Verde and Florida, completed a sea turtle medicine and rehabilitation internship in Florida, USA, and volunteered several months as a veterinary surgeon at the Archelon Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Greece. Following her graduation, she joined Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi, an NGO in Bolivia, where she worked closely with big cats, another of her lifelong passions.
In pursuit of further expertise, she completed the SeaVet Clinical Training Course at the University of Florida in 2020, as well as an Aquatic Animal Medicine course with IMFAC, Mexico. Between 2020 and 2022, she practised small animal and exotic medicine at a busy UK hospital while also serving as a Veterinary Advisor and Communications Lead for the Sea Turtle Rescue Alliance.
From December 2022 to 2024, Dr Mariana worked as the Veterinary Surgeon at the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, Baa Atoll.
She now continues with ORP as a Conservation Clinical Researcher, focusing on developing and refining rehabilitation protocols, analysing medical data, and advancing sea turtle healthcare.
Working remotely has allowed her to further her academic pursuits. She is currently undertaking a postgraduate degree in Wildlife Conservation Medicine at Vasco da Gama University School (Portugal) and has begun a second postgraduate programme in Exotic Animal Medicine in collaboration with Valencia University (Spain).
Mariana embraces the philosophy: “To grow, one must always stay curious!”
