Sea Change

As climate change, resource overexploitation, and pollution leave ever more visible marks, there’s no question that oceans are changing. Ecosystems, economies, and people are all affected. Canada – with coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic – has a formidable challenge in building resilient and sustainable oceans and supporting the communities that rely on them. Sea Change reports on the work of the OceanCanada Partnership, a multidisciplinary, multiyear research project to take stock of what we know about Canada’s three oceans, construct scenarios of the future facing coastal regions, and create a national dialogue and vision. Three cross-cutting themes emerge from this impressive synthesis of social, cultural, economic, and environmental knowledge: ocean change, access to ocean resources, and ocean governance. Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and practitioners in a wide array of fields investigate well-being, health, and livelihoods in coastal communities as they respond to rapid environmental and social transformation. With a focus on finding solutions, they outline the implications and obstacles for legislation, make suggestions for further research, and offer policy recommendations. Increasingly, civil society will bear the responsibility to advocate for oceans, and Sea Change will empower the voices of those who take up that task.