Sobey Fund for Oceans getting one scholar off to a good start

By Gregory Britten, Sobey Fund for Oceans Scholarship recipient
I came to Dalhousie in 2006 convinced that I would make wildlife conservation my life’s work. From that point, however, the focus of my degree changed three times; from an Arts degree in International Development with a future interest in environmental law, to a biology degree with a minor in environmental science, to a marine biology degree, and finally to a combined degree between marine biology and mathematical statistics. Throughout the change, however, my motivation was the same – to make my life’s work the understanding and proper stewardship of the natural world.

© Cat Holloway / WWF-Canon

I was awarded my degree with first class honours and have immediately begun a Master’s of Marine Biology with Professors Boris Worm and Mike Dowd. I’ve since gained the support of the Sobey Fund for Oceans through one of two inaugural graduate scholarships awarded by the World Wildlife Fund. It’s tremendously exciting to be in this position having been entirely focused on this goal since coming to Dal, and having now a focused direction and wonderful resources. To have the support of the Sobey Fund and WWF and to be working with such talented researchers such as Drs. Worm and Dowd, my inspiration and determination has grown many-fold. My master’s research will focus on using mathematical models to understand the consequences of fishing and exploitation on marine fish populations. Fishing and exploitation have huge consequences on populations and ecosystems; yet quite unfortunately, our scientific understanding has lagged the ecological impact. Beyond the fact that harvesting reduces population abundance, exploitation has more poorly understood consequences like affecting populations’ ability to recover from depletion and adapt to environmental change. With the support of the Sobey Fund for Oceans, he WWF and the tutelage of Dr. Worm and Dowd, I plan to use my knowledge of mathematics and statistics to understand the patterns of fish stock productivity and variability using large and modern fisheries datasets. I sincerely feel the support I’ve gathered puts me in the best possible position to tackle this project and ultimately realize my academic and personal goals.
With my new partnership with the World Wildlife through the Sobey Fund for Oceans, I will work to produce the most rigorous and impactful research possible, but I also hope to communicate my research to a broader audience. Research of this kind does not realize its potential without implementation and it’s through groups like the WWF where environmental research meets implementation and garners public support for further development. I’ve come to understand that a successful project takes three things: resources, sound decisions, and good ideas. The Sobey Fund has provided me resources, the WWF has decided on my plan, and it’s up to me for the good ideas. It’s a project I’m committed to, and the ideas are already pouring in.