Youth On Board the Sustainable Blue Economy: Spencer Chaisson

Spencer Chaisson was 20 years old when he first saw the ocean, thanks to a co-op job in his third year of university.

“My family didn’t go on vacations to the coast or abroad while I was growing up, and ocean literacy wasn’t taught in my school,” he said.

In fact, he had planned out a career path in environmental assessments based in Ontario. But the ocean left a sense of wonder in him.

“It was just mesmerizing. It was a world I didn’t know about,” he said. “I was awestruck by the size and complexity of the ocean.”

After SCUBA diving for the first time at age 23, he decided to find a way to make the ocean a part of his career.

He’s now a masters student in oceanography at the University of British Columbia, and an Environmental Coordinator at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. His work focuses on coastal ecology, environmental impact assessments, aquatic invasive species, and sustainability in the Port of Vancouver.

“Today, working and spending time in and near the ocean is one of the most important things in my life; whether it’s beach clean-ups, collecting samples of fish or water, foraging for food, SCUBA diving, fighting off invasive species like European green crab, or watching the tide roll in during a sunset,” he said.

“It’s hard to believe that I only got to realize this because of a random co-op job in third year. I think there are a lot of young people like me that want to contribute or find their passion in the blue economy, but need a bridge to get them there.”

The Blue Futures Pathways team will regularly post stories of youth, educators and employers “On Board” the Sustainable Blue Economy. Do you want to share your story or get involved? Send us an e-mail here.