Training our Future Ocean Leaders

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The ocean plays a key role in the economy and culture of Canada. The "blue economy", from fisheries and aquaculture to shipping and energy production, generates more than 300,000 jobs annually and contributes over $39 billion to Canada's GDP. But changes are afoot across Canada's ocean, and industry and coastal communities are struggling to adapt. In the Arctic, melting sea ice is altering food webs, threatening traditional livelihoods, inviting oil and gas developments and exposing geopolitical rifts. On the east and west coast, warming and acidifying waters are threatening shellfish and fisheries stocks, while First Nations and other coastal communities are weighing the costs and benefits of major energy developments. The future of the blue economy, coastal communities, the ocean itself depends on our ability to manage direct human pressures and build resilience to the global threats of climate change and ocean acidification. Training Our Future Ocean Leaders ["Ocean Leaders"] aims to prepare a new generation of interdisciplinary marine scientists with the ability to translate technical knowledge into policy and management innovations for the ocean. It will be the cornerstone of UBC's brand new Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, which unites top marine researchers across disciplines behind a mission of research, teaching and societal engagement on the future of the ocean and its resources. Ocean Leaders supports this mission by training young marine scientists and social scientists to bridge the gulf between science and society. With the leadership of our interdisciplinary team, trainees will reach beyond their fields of technical expertise to develop professional experience in areas including marine law and governance, community engagement, science communication, entrepreneurship and environmental impact assessment. The graduates will be ideally prepared to lead Canada in the search for solutions to the myriad of challenges facing our ocean and our coastal communities.