Breaking Water with Dr. Elaine Leung
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Dr. Elaine Leung, the Executive Director and Founder of the Vancouver-based charity, Sea Smart.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work and what you do?
I'm Dr Elaine Leung; I'm a marine biologist, Founder and Executive Director of Sea Smart. Sea Smart is a Vancouver-based charity whose mission is to inspire and empower kids to love and protect our oceans. Since our inception in 2016, we’ve empowered over 40,000 people through in-person programs across Metro Vancouver and over 700,000 people in over 30 countries through our free online educator resources to become ocean heroes. We deliver innovative, solutions-based education programs like outdoor summer camps, school workshops, online courses and shoreline cleanups to empower kids to make the world a better place. Sea Smart is powering waves of change around the world to ensure our future generations will live in a world with healthy oceans full of whales, fish and hope.
What inspired you to begin a career involving water?
I always thought our ocean was beautiful, mysterious and powerful. I never thought I would pursue a career involving water because I get seasick and I'm a horrible swimmer! But I've always been passionate about making the world a better place and for my first real job after high school, I was given the lifetime opportunity to do research on sea lions for the University of British Columbia. I fell in love with marine biology and never looked back!
Where did you grow up? Did you have a relationship with water there?
I was born and raised on the unceded and traditional homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh) and Coast Salish peoples in a city known as Vancouver. Ever since I was little, my parents would take me to explore the beaches here and Vancouver is where I got my scuba diving certification 20 years ago!
What is the most powerful memory you have of being on or near the water?
Is it cheating if I say I've had countless life-changing memories from being on the water? I've worked as a marine biologist for over 15 years studying threatened marine animals around the world and I'm so grateful to have so many amazing experiences...from having a pod of nine killer whales diving under my kayak to surfing in green fairy dust bioluminescence to having curious juvenile sea lions swimming loops around me to watching marine iguanas diving to feed on algae while I'm snorkelling...all of these plus more are incredibly powerful memories for me and remind me why it's so important to protect our ocean.
How does Sea Smart encourage others to know and safeguard their waters?
At Sea Smart, we passionately believe that a journey in conservation begins with a love for the natural world. Through our programs and resources, we seek to spark that love. We're focussed on youth in particular, because while we know most young people want to help combat climate change, there aren't enough resources that empower them to make a tangible, positive impact. In our summer camps and school workshops, we encourage students to be creative in imagining a better future. We are so proud to be building a strong interest in science and sustainable action that will translate into a life of care for our natural environment and waterways.
Photos: Sea Smart
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.