Jessica Hurtubise is a marine biologist passionate about  Arctic and community-based projects that highlight the intersection between ocean conservation and culture.

Jessica has worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors, giving her unique insights to identify sector priorities and constraints, allowing her to foster partnerships in cross-sector collaborative projects.

With her experience working for and with northern Indigenous communities, Jessica is passionate about supporting Indigenous people's right to self-determination in the ocean sector, particularly in youth vision for ocean conservation.

Jessica is an avid paddler and enjoys the easy access to the outdoors in the Northwest Territories. She once spent a week kayaking 120km on Great Slave Lake - a lofty goal, given her "longest" prior kayaking experience was a half-day Halifax Harbour tour.