Indigenous Ocean Futures
Indigenous Ocean Futures empowers Indigenous leadership, skills development, and career pathways through community-driven training, microcredentials, and tailored resources for the blue economy.
In-Community Training
We offer practical, applied training delivered directly in communities and tailored to regional priorities. Short, skills-based modules can be taken individually or combined into longer learning pathways.
Additional microcredential training will be added throughout 2026.
In-Community Training
We offer practical, applied training delivered directly in communities and tailored to regional priorities. Short, skills-based modules can be taken individually or combined into longer learning pathways.
Additional microcredential training will be added throughout 2026.
OAC Microcredential Training
Short, applied microcredentials designed for ocean-sector employment skills.
OAC Microcredential Training
Short, applied microcredentials designed for ocean-sector employment skills.
Strategic Coastal Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Planning
A practical program focused on assessing climate risk and developing actionable coastal management and adaptation strategies.
Participants learn to:
- Assess physical, ecological, and infrastructure vulnerabilities
- Apply structured vulnerability frameworks
- Integrate geospatial and community data
- Develop investment-ready adaptation plans
- Align planning with national and international resiliency frameworks
Nature-Based Coastal Restoration & Blue Carbon Project Development
Applied training to support the design and implementation of coastal restoration and blue carbon projects.
Participants gain skills in:
- Coastal ecosystem resilience
- Blue carbon accounting and monitoring (MRV)
- Carbon standards and market mechanisms
- Project finance and community delivery models
Digital Tools for Coastal Intelligence
Satellite Mapping & Bathymetric Analysis
Technical training focused on remote sensing, satellite imagery and geospatial analysis for coastal management.
Participants build capacity to:
- Use open-source and commercial satellite platforms
- Apply tools such as QGIS and Google Earth Engine
- Conduct bathymetric mapping
- Monitor shoreline and habitat change
- Support evidence-based decisions
Courses in Partnership with ECO Canada’s BEAHR Program
For communities looking for deeper or longer-term training pathways, we offer select courses through ECO Canada’s BEAHR Program. Customized to each community, graduates gain employable skills through a blended perspective of Traditional Knowledge and Western science.
Current Offerings:
These programs support foundational knowledge and skills across ecological knowledge and field-based monitoring to build community capacity in ocean and coastal stewardship.
I-WISE: Indigenous Women & Two-Spirit Leadership
Strengthens leadership and mentorship for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit individuals by connecting cultural leadership values with careers in marine and coastal communities.
Interested in bringing I-WISE to your community or training program?
Add a Leadership Workshop to Technical Training
Communities can integrate a facilitated I-WISE session into any OAC microcredential or BEAHR course. This workshop builds confidence, public speaking skills, mentorship awareness, and leadership capacity alongside technical ocean training
Facilitate Your Own Mentorship or Leadership Circle
Access structured facilitation tools, mentorship circle templates, and ocean-sector leadership scenarios to host your own culturally grounded sessions with optional guidance from the Indigenous Ocean Futures team.
Indigenous Career Supports
Indigenous-specific career resources are integrated within the Blue Career Navigator.
These include:
- Targeted employment opportunities
- Indigenous-designated job postings
- Professional development supports
The goal is to improve visibility, access and recognition across ocean careers.
Work with us
Indigenous Ocean Futures programming is developed and delivered in partnership with communities and organizations.
If your community is interested in:
- Hosting in-community training
- BEAHR or OAC Micorcredentials
- Hosting an I-WISE leadership session
- Collaborating on future activities
We welcome a conversation.