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 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.

Les océans de la Terre et le cycle interconnecté de l'eau et des cours d'eau sont essentiels à tous les organismes vivants de la Terre. Pourtant, la santé de ces océans et, par le fait même, le bien-être de toutes les formes de vie sur Terre, est en grande partie menacée par les impacts de l'activité humaine. Le plastique est omniprésent dans nos océans et il va falloir une transformation profonde de la conscience et des activités de l'humanité concernant les océans pour assurer une vie saine et durable sur cette planète

Nous croyons que c'est possible! Mais nous avons besoin de votre aide. Nos jeunes doivent être sensibilisés à leur propre utilisation du plastique et à l'impact direct de leurs actions sur l'environnement qui les entoure. Grâce à ces ressources, nous espérons que les jeunes deviendront des leaders du changement - et tout cela commence dans votre salle de classe.

Disponible aux niveaux maternelle, primaire et secondaire, et pour éducateurs francophones et anglophones.

Boîte à outils pour enseignants
Liens vers les normes d’apprentissage prescrites par province
Plan unitaire pour enseignants
Cahier d’exercices pour les étudiants

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!

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.

Ocean Heroes Bootcamp empowers existing and emerging youth leaders to create their own campaigns to take action against ocean plastic pollution. Through a collaboration with a group of ocean health organizing partners, the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp provides youth with the skills, resources, and confidence to create campaigns to tackle single-use plastic pollution in their communities. Ocean Heroes HQ fosters a globally connected community of youth around one central goal: to create and implement campaigns that permanently reduce plastic pollution. Campaigns created by Ocean Heroes support the achievement of UN SDG 14.1, “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.” Campaigns also support the Clean Seas campaign of organizing partner UN Environment.

The Remote Network of Ocean Heroes is a free, open-source curriculum designed to enable ocean health organizations, education institutions, and passionate communities to implement the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp content seamlessly into their youth programs.

Simply put, ocean literacy is understanding the ocean and our relationship with it. But the ocean isn’t so simple to understand! That’s why the Ocean Literacy Framework was developed.

Multilingual Learning Platforms
Web resources, quizzes, videos and badges designed to support educators and help develop an understanding of how humans impact the ocean and how the ocean influences us.

Available for elementary, middle, secondary schools and educators.

Student Courses
Educator Courses

Educator Tool Kits - a comprehensive, bilingual education program designed to educate students across Canada. Themes connect to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The program provides educators across the country with a Teacher tool kit and Student workbook for 7 lesson unit plan, including assessment rubrics, curriculum links for all Territories and Provinces, and dozens of explaining videos, all in one convenient place.

Teachers Leading Change - lessons, curriculum, resources

Grades 2/3, 7/8 & 10/11

What is the Ocean Plastic Program?

The Earth’s oceans, and the interconnected cycle of water and waterways, are vital to every living thing on Earth. And yet the health of these oceans, and by extension the well-being of all life on Earth, is at risk due largely to the impacts of human activity. Plastic is everywhere in our oceans and it’s going to take a deep, transformational change in humanity’s consciousness and activities regarding the oceans to ensure healthy, sustainable life on this planet.

We believe this is possible! But we need your help. Our youth need to be made aware of their own plastic use and how their actions will have a direct impact on the environment around them. Through these resources we hope youth will become leaders of change - and this all starts in your classroom.

Available for elementary, middle, secondary schools and educators in English and French

Teacher Tool Kits
Curriculum Links By Province
Teacher Unit Plan
Student Workbooks

Ocean Watch reports provide snapshots of coastal ocean health

Keeping our coasts and oceans healthy starts with understanding what is happening. The Coastal Ocean Research Institute (CORI) was established to do just that. Ocean Watch delves into what’s happening in our coastal ecosystems through a series of articles organized into seven themes: species and habitats, clean water, sense of place and wellbeing, coastal development and livelihoods, stewardship and governance, oceanography and climate change, and seafood. Our aim is to produce independent, credible, and engaging information so that you are inspired to make better decisions for nature and all the people who live along the coast in British Columbia.

From the exposed west coasts of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, to the deep fjords and channels cutting into the British Columbia mainland, to the sparkling Salish Sea, diversity along the B.C. Coast is unrivalled. A rich array of sea life has supported Indigenous peoples along this coast since time immemorial and settlers have contributed cultural diversity over the past few centuries. Much of the B.C. coast is still relatively pristine, but the impacts of human activities extend far beyond population centers. Acknowledging that population growth, increasing resource extraction, and uncertain impacts of climate change are stressing the integrity of coastal ecosystems, many residents are seeking ways to improve the ways we interact with British Columbia's coast.

Ocean Watch reports provide snapshots of coastal ocean health

Keeping our coasts and oceans healthy starts with understanding what is happening. The Coastal Ocean Research Institute (CORI) was established to do just that. Ocean Watch delves into what’s happening in our coastal ecosystems through a series of articles organized into seven themes: species and habitats, clean water, sense of place and wellbeing, coastal development and livelihoods, stewardship and governance, oceanography and climate change, and seafood. Our aim is to produce independent, credible, and engaging information so that you are inspired to make better decisions for nature and all the people who live along the coast in British Columbia.

Howe Sound is a remarkable blend of wilderness and accessibility. It sits directly adjacent to the growing metropolis of Vancouver, yet also contains fantastic wild places and natural recreational opportunities. With the population and development growing quickly, many are wondering how it can maintain its ecological values and way of life. This report provides information to help guide decisions as the area grows and changes. Working with scientists and other collaborators, we have produced a series of articles on key elements of Howe Sound.

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.