OCEAN WISE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

• Education programs – virtual and in-person curriculum-based programs from Kindergarten to Grade 12 French language programs professional development for teachers home learner programs and outreach programs including the Ocean Wise Sea Dome program - a mobile teaching vehicle. • Youth programs - provide hands-on service opportunities centered around ocean conservation fostering a network of ocean lovers and leaders across Canada. We have full-time and part-time service programs as well as a microgrant program that helps youth grow and expand service ideas and projects. • Applied Research – to better understand ocean conservation issues and ultimately inspire action to address these issues. Our research focuses on the health of whale populations coastal contamination including the effects of microplastics. Through our international-caliber scientific research on our ocean we focus on the sources and examine the consequences of ocean pollution and contaminants and on identify practical solutions. • Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup – a citizen science program that collects litter from public spaces and records data that is used to advance policy and business changes. • Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood – a program created to educate consumers to help protect seafood stocks for generations to come. • Seaforestation – a conservation restoration program developing innovative planting techniques and restoring kelp habitat in BC. • Whale Report Alert System – a system which uses citizen science reported data and technology including hydrophones infrared sensors and AI to alert large vessels of the presence of whales to reduce ship strikes. Whale reports are also used to inform long-term conservation data and tracking. • eDNA Research Lab – a research program which focuses on long-term studies of marine mammal populations and the threats these at-risk populations face. Methods used include photogrammetry prey sampling and gathering environmental DNA.