What does it take to walk the talk? Learn about how Vancouver Aquarium, an Ocean Wise Initiative, leads by example by using sustainable, environmentally safe practices in its operations. Be surprised in what small changes you can make in your own life to be green.

British Columbia is home to an incredible abundance of biodiversity. Beneath the waves of the coastline, boarding the land of the Coast Salish peoples, we can find a vast variety of the unsung heroes of the ocean - the invertebrates. That biodiversity, however, has been under threat for a number of years. Explore this interactive story map to learn about the biodiversity of Howe Sound in British Columbia, how humans are intrinsically connected to the ocean and our actions have both a positive and negative impact on the life under the waves. No matter where you are from, we are all connected to the ocean.

Corals are beautiful, diverse and complex structures. Nearly everyone knows about Coral Reefs, but do you know what they actually are...? Coral Reefs are vital animals that provide the foundation for the richest diversity in the ocean. Explore the important role that corals have for the oceans worldwide, and understand how our small choices can have a powerful impact on life in the ocean.

This graphic organizer helps grade one students plan a story with:
- A title or topic
- Beginning: Make it sound interesting!
- Middle: 3 details!
- Ending: Something for reader to remember!

This map shows the distribution of the top 12 items picked up on Canadian shorelines across the country in 2017. A shoreline is anything that is connected to water: which includes coastlines, lake shores, river shores, inland communities, and storm drains. Marine debris is coming from all across the country. Do you use any of these items? What actions can you take to reduce the impact? Find out more.

*activities, galleries, lessons, tutorials, course collections!
200 resources!

"Educators and students across Canada can access ArcGIS software, support and teaching resources for free. All our resources are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International, and we encourage educators to share and adapt our resources to work with their courses.

ArcGIS is a powerful tool for learning in social studies for various reasons. It allows students to tell stories by visualizing, analyzing, and interpreting data related to location and place. This can be incredibly valuable in social studies, where understanding the spatial relationships between historical events, cultural phenomena, and natural resources can help students develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the world around them. Check it out"

Learn more about the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, including information on the sources and impacts of shoreline litter and what our national network of volunteers are doing to make a positive difference! Explore interactive maps that contain data from cleanups across Canada in 2017 and discover the most common items found on shorelines. We also provide ideas for how you can get involved by reducing your use and leading a shoreline cleanup in your community!

Through traditional ecological knowledge and ocean navigation, understand how the indigenous peoples around the world succeeded on their lands well before modern science and technology were invented. Compare this knowledge to modern ocean navigation by diving head first into the Volvo Ocean Race, a sailing race across the globe with sustainability at its heart. Discover the incredible things which all peoples are able to accomplish through their understanding of place, nature, and the ocean.

Plastic is in the ocean. We all know it. But how did it get there? Why did no one see it coming? Is it really that big of a problem? Learn more through exploring this interactive map and receive challenges to help you tackle the plastic problem in your own community.

Steller Sea Lions are charismatic marine mammals who have captured the hearts of many by their curious nature and powerful roar. These top predators help to maintain balance in the ecosystem. Their health and stability help indicate to us the health of the ocean as a whole. Explore this interactive activity to learn about Steller Sea Lions, their pinniped cousins, and how our simple choices have a powerful impact on the health and wellbeing of these incredible animals.

Meet the rescued and rehabilitated sea otters at the Vancouver Aquarium, and understand why these adorable mammals are vital to the ecosystem. Learn what you can do in your everyday life to make a difference for wild sea otters, and how they nearly disappeared from southern North America thanks to their incredible fur. Be warned: incredible cuteness up ahead.

Sustainable Seafood means that there was no damage caused to the environment or native species by catching the fish, crab or clam on your plate. There is a very simple way for you to make a positive impact on the health of our oceans and fish populations, and that is to choose sustainable seafood. This does not mean choosing between farmed fish or wild caught fish – there is much more involved than that. Learn about the different methods of fishing and understand the story of how the seafood reaches our plate. Every human, no matter where you are in the world, as both a positive and negative impact on the ocean. Exploring this story map helps us understand how our little choices can make a big impact.

Whales are a large diverse group of animals which belong to the clade Cetacea, which also includes porpoises and dolphins. Whales are charismatic creatures, who have captured the attention of millions around the world. Still, the world of whales is shrouded in mystery. One of the biggest challenges to studying whales is that they are hard to find. Less than 5% of the ocean has been explored, and it covers 71% of the surface of our planet. This makes whales challenging to research under wild conditions. It is thanks to dedicated researchers, explorers, and educators, that we are now beginning to understand just how incredible whales are, and how important they are to sustaining life in the ocean.