Change begins at sea level.

Like many of my colleagues on Vancouver Island, I grew up bewildered by the abundance and diversity of marine life of the Pacific Northwest. For me this meant distant admiration, having been raised in B.C’s Central Okanagan for much of my youth.

During my visits to the Pacific Ocean, the marine ecosystem and its residents captivated me from the second the tide began to fall to the moment it chased me back over the mountains of driftwood. The aggressively cold and turbulent waters of the West Coast made anything below the intertidal seem infinitely beyond reach.

Driven by my passion, I tirelessly studied, trained, and worked my way into a lifestyle and profession that allows me to interact with aquatic life on a near daily basis. Understanding my great fortune, I feel a sense of obligation to share the wonders and critical importance of the marine species that I am so lucky to work with.

In light of a potentially uncertain future for the natural world, I frequently contemplate my role in the preservation of the sea life that many of us care so deeply about. As with many virtuous movements throughout history, motivation for change begins with awareness. Through art, education, and a little bit of humour, I plan to bring the Northeast Pacific’s lesser-known species to the centre stage for celebration.