Below is a summary of my research program. Themes are representative and non-exclusive, particularly given the cross-cutting nature of our work. A complete list of publications can be found on my Google Scholar page. PDFs of non-open access papers are available upon request (cj.rivera@umb.edu).
Coasts, Communities, and Conservation in Costa Rica
Our emerging research examines the relationship between biocultural diversity and conservation in urban coastal systems. In summer 2026 we launched a new study focusing on biodiversity, culture, and local perspectives in communities along Costa Rica’ rapidly changing Pacific coast. Stay tuned for research updates!
Human-Wildlife Interactions and Conservation in the Urbanizing Amazon
Rivera, C.J., W.R. Travis, M. Caireta Camps, R.M. Rocker, P. Montero Alvarez, J. Velásquez Varela, D.S. Wilcove, and A. Fuentes. 2026. Human-wildlife interactions, tourism, and conservation in the globalizing Amazon. Conservation Science and Practice, 8(8), e70347.
Rivera, C.J. and P. Montero Alvarez. Toward more inclusive governance and conservation in the urbanizing Amazon. Conservation Science and Practice, 8(7), e70340.
White, M.C., C.J. Rivera, J. Sánchez Babilonia, J. Velásquez Varela, and D.S. Wilcove. 2026. Factors influencing survival of orphaned Amazonian manatees (Trichechis inunguis) during clinical rehabilitation in Peru. Conservation Science and Practice, e70235.
Rivera, C.J., A. Fuentes, and V. Hull. 2024. Cultural roles of primates in an Amazonian urban center. Journal for Nature Conservation, 78, 126548.
Rivera, C.J., S.K. Macey, M.E Blair, and E.J. Sterling. 2021. Assessing ecological and social dimensions of success in a community-based sustainable harvest program. Environmental Management, 67, 731-746.
Social-Ecological Integration for Conservation
Rivera, C.J., J.S. Kahler, W. Nurbandi, and A. Fuentes. 2025. A framework to analyze primate species vulnerability to trade in urban markets. American Journal of Primatology, 87:e70102.
Hull, V., C.J. Rivera, and I.E. Coleman. 2024. Telecoupling. In: Warf, B. (eds) The Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Springer, Cham.
Hull, V., X. Bian, D. J. Episcopio-Sturgeon, C.J. Rivera, V. Rojas-Bonzi, and A. Morzillo. 2023. Living with wildlife: a review of advances in social-ecological analysis across landscapes. Landscape Ecology, 38, 4385-4402.
Kahler, J., C.J. Rivera, and M. L. Gore. 2022. Introducing IPOACHED: A conservation criminology-based framework to understand wildlife species targeted by poachers in protected areas. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 3, 992621.
Rivera, C.J., D. Mayo, and V. Hull. 2021. Social-ecological interactions influencing primate harvest: insights from Madagascar. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2, 1-13.
Kahler, J., J.W. Rivera, Z.T. Steele, P. Morales-Giner, C.J. Rivera, C. Ahossin, A. Kaur, and D.J. Episcopio-Sturgeon. 2021. Advancing applied research in conservation criminology through the evaluation of corruption prevention, enhancing compliance, and reducing recidivism. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2, 1-13.
Hull, V., C.J. Rivera, and C. Wong. 2019. A synthesis of opportunities for applying the telecoupling framework to marine protected areas. Sustainability, 11, 4450.
Environmental Education
Rivera, C.J., S. Gunda, E.J. Kim, D.Y. Prosser, and M. Shapiro. 2026. Teaching the wildlife trade: a social-ecological systems approach. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.
Porzecanski, A.L., S. Akabas, E. Betley, M. Blair, N. Bynum, J.R. Ginsberg, M.J. Groom, S.K. Macey, C. Moore, C.J. Rivera, and P. West. 2023. Lessons from a transformative conservation educator and building the future of conservation education. Lessons in Conservation, 13, 5-14.
Rivera, C.J. and C. Savage. 2020. Campuses as living labs for sustainability problem-solving: trends, triumphs, and traps. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 10, 334-340.
