Boris Worm grew up transfixed by oceans and the curiosities they hold. That fascination drove him to become a marine ecologist. He earned his PhD from Kiel University in Germany before embarking on a journey that ultimately led to him becoming a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where he studies the effects of fishing and climate change on marine biodiversity. He is also the co-founder and scientific director of Ocean School, a free online platform developed in partnership with the National Film Board that provides immersive ocean-themed learning experiences for students in grades 5-12.

On falling for the ocean

I have a picture of myself as a three- year-old, being by the ocean and just out of my mind happy. And really, at the core, that’s when I fell in love with the ocean — even before I could probably speak. Apparently, water was the first word I used, and it’s stayed with me all my life. The more I learned, the more I saw how little we understand about our blue planet. And how important it is that we get a better handle on that relationship. 

On how marine science has changed

Marine science is a relatively recent branch of science. Indigenous people, thousands of years ago, made structured observations and held a lot of knowledge about the ocean. Aristotle was possibly the first western ocean scientist who did structured inquiry into marine lifeforms. But as a scientific enterprise, marine science is only about 150 years old. To me, all of that just adds to the draw of the ocean. We’re still discovering new species all the time. We are [not even] halfway through the task of finding what’s out there.

On improving ocean literacy

At the base level, I’m trying to improve ocean literacy, with kids particularly. And that means growing awareness of our connection to the ocean. A few years ago, I coined this term: “every second breath we take comes from the ocean.” That’s one way of talking about that connection — it literally happens every time we breathe. We breathe oxygen that was produced in the ocean. What we do affects the ocean, but the ocean [also affects] us in so many ways, most of which we are not even aware of.

On hope for the future

I’m a hopeful person. And part of what I’m trying to convey to people is our sense of agency, individually and collectively — that we can make things better, and we are already making things better. Climate change and plastic pollution are issues that are not under control. We’re not there yet. But we have a lot of the knowledge and the resolve to really redefine our place on this planet. I think that will happen during our next generation.