From fishing nets to screens: My journey from Arraial do Cabo to Ocean Conservation

I was born and raised in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am the son of a traditional artisanal fishing family, which means the sea has never just been a backdrop in my life. The sea was always our home, our livelihood, and the foundation of our culture. I carry memories from my childhood such as: seeing my grandfather weaving nets, my uncles leaving home to fish with a large thermos of coffee, playing with my cousins among my grandfather's nets, and having fish and other seafood in my daily meals.

This deep childhood connection to the ocean sparked my desire to learn more about it. I wanted to understand this world beyond the perspective of fishing, which led me to the path of science. I graduated in Oceanography (Ocean Sciences). Today, I am a PhD candidate in Biological Oceanography at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). My current academic research is focused on an ecosystem I consider the heart of the coastal zone: mangroves. Nevertheless, throughout my academic journey, and far from home, I realized that scientific data alone often fails to reach people's hearts. Science needs translation; it needs stories. Especially those coming from the people who live by and depend on the ocean. That's how I found my second calling: storytelling.

Currently, I work as a director, storyteller, documentary filmmaker, and editor at Benthos.ai alongside my friend Francielly Monteiro. We believe stories are the most powerful tools we have to bridge the gap between local knowledge and global action (Documentaries here: https://www.youtube.com/@benthos.ai1). The Benthos Story Lab is our commitment to ethical storytelling, where we partner with communities to co-create documentaries that honor their expertise and amplify their voices.

This current moment in my career has been incredibly transformative. Seeing our documentaries selected and screened at international festivals, the excellent reception from the featured projects and communities, and how some initiatives have spread to other regions and countries has shown me I am on the right path. This is especially true now, as I become part of Ocean Culture Life alongside other storytellers around the world with my project, Preserving Arraial’s Ancestral Fishing Knowledge.

Being at the intersection of ancestral knowledge, ocean sciences, and filmmaking allows me to tell authentic stories about the ocean. For me, protecting the ocean is not just a career choice; it is about protecting my own family and history, and ensuring that the voices of coastal communities are heard globally.