This story is a part of the GenOcean campaign — an official Ocean Decade campaign showcasing Decade Actions, collaborating organizations and ocean leaders that focus on youth and citizen science opportunities to help anyone, anywhere be the change the ocean needs.
We sat down with Volita Yego, the ECOP Canada Node Manager, whose nonlinear journey from corporate law to ocean advocacy reflects the expanding and increasingly diverse landscape of early career ocean professionals (ECOPs). Through community building, global collaboration and unyielding hope, Volita is helping shape the next generation of ocean leaders as we move into the second half of the Ocean Decade.
You work closely with early career ocean professionals. How do you define an ECOP, and why is that definition important?
Volita:
An ECOP is anyone in their first ten years of working in the ocean or water sector — all water, whether saltwater, freshwater or even wastewater. Everything connects back to the ocean.
Importantly, “work” doesn’t have to be paid. You could be a volunteer, an advocate, someone organizing community cleanups or someone whose job only touches the ocean indirectly. It also doesn’t matter how long you held that position. What we’re trying to capture is the breadth of lived experience that shapes our ocean community.
If we want true diversity — of culture, identity, geography, skills and background — we have to broaden our perspective of what an early career looks like and recognize all the nonlinear paths that lead people into ocean action.
Your own path wasn’t a traditional one. How did you end up working in the ocean sector?
Volita:
My background is in law. I was in the corporate world, which is often at the root of the very challenges we’re trying to solve through the Ocean Decade. Over time, I realized I wanted my work to contribute to something meaningful. I went back to school for a masters in human rights, knowing only that I wanted to be part of the solution, but I didn’t yet know what that solution looked like.
My entry into the ocean sector was almost accidental. A friend introduced me to community volunteering, and through that I found my way to an ocean-focused organization. I started working in youth empowerment, helping young people navigate eco-anxiety and find real pathways into environmental work.
From there, I shifted into focusing on ECOPs. In many ways, I use the same core skills — advocacy, listening, amplifying voices — but now to ensure ECOPs have a seat at the table. It’s been beautifully nonlinear, but once I found what mattered to me, everything clicked.
What does your role as ECOP Canada Node Manager look like day-to-day?
Volita:
It’s one title, but many hats. I’m a coordinator, communicator, community builder, partnership developer, advocate and sometimes an event host, panel moderator or facilitator.
My day could include running an event, meeting with potential collaborators or partners, moderating a panel on inclusivity or geographic barriers, hosting a booth to raise awareness or designing opportunities for ECOPs across Canada.
The ECOP Programme only began in 2021, so we’re still building legitimacy, consistency and funding. It means we experiment, learn, adjust and try again. No two days look the same, and that’s what makes it exciting.
What are your main priorities for the ECOP Canada Node right now?
Volita:
We’re focused on four big areas:
1. Funding and accessibility
Funding is always the biggest challenge. This year, we launched our ECOP Ambassador Program, supporting about 20 ECOPs across Canada, including those in northern regions where opportunities are limited. It’s helped us bring in people who are underrepresented, in transition phases or without permanent residency.
2. Global collaboration
Ocean issues don’t exist in silos, so our response shouldn’t either. We’re building ECOP-to-ECOP collaborations internationally — connecting nodes, sharing solutions and breaking down barriers.
3. Addressing gaps in Canada
Canadian ECOPs consistently cite four challenges: lack of funding, opportunities, training and community. We’re addressing each systematically.
4. Building community that lasts beyond 2030
Slack channels are great, but true community needs in-person connection. We want a network strong enough to outlive the Ocean Decade which is a place where ECOPs know where to go for mentorship, collaboration or support even after the UN program formally ends.
With the Ocean Decade ending in 2030, how does that timeline shape your work?
Volita:
We have five more years to build something that lasts. That’s not a long time. Think about a student starting their undergraduate degree today. By the time they graduate, the Decade will be coming to a close. We have to make sure they are not left without resources for guidance on how to get involved in the ocean sector.
ECOPs are individuals who carry the legacy forward. They will become the mid-level and senior professionals of tomorrow. The torch needs to be passed now, and the ECOP Programme plays a critical role in creating pathways and networks that will survive beyond 2030.
What has surprised you the most in your transition from working with youth to working with ECOPs?
Volita:
Seeing how perspective shifts with experience. Youth tend to have boundless optimism. ECOPs still have that optimism, but they also understand the weight of the challenges ahead. They see how hard it is to access opportunities, secure funding, get heard in decision-making spaces or simply stay hopeful in the face of climate realities.
A lot is asked of early career professionals, and burnout happens quickly. It can dim the spark people start out with. But I’ve also seen how the ECOP Programme reignites that spark. Being part of a community and being valued in decision-making spaces can make all the difference.
And honestly, “hope is part of resistance.” ECOPs embody that. They’re not here because it’s profitable, they’re here because they care.
What are some of the most inspiring projects or people you’ve encountered through ECOP Canada?
Volita:
The diversity of paths into the ocean sector is incredible. One ECOP with a computer science background joined a shoreline cleanup, and that single experience inspired him to create a hackathon for ocean cleanups.
Other great Canadian ocean project leaders include:
Moronke Harris, who combines her deep-sea research with storytelling through her initiative The Imaginative Scientist, making complex ocean science accessible and inspiring the public to care about deep-sea ecosystems;
Jeanine Sinclair, the founder of Plastic Free BC, leads community-driven shoreline cleanups, microplastics citizen science and public education, helping British Columbians take tangible action to reduce plastic pollution in coastal waters;
Dev Katyal, who created EcoPlastic, an app that guides users on proper recycling and rewards sustainable behaviors, showing how technology can make everyday actions count toward a cleaner ocean; and
Lisa Chen, the founder of Oceanic Impact and Let’s Talk Butts campaign, tackles marine debris through community action, circular-economy solutions and education. Her initiatives aim to remove waste and prevent it at the source by raising awareness and providing practical disposal options, showing how small changes in everyday behavior can reduce pollution and protect marine life.
I’ve watched ECOPs from social sciences, engineering, arts, health and business find their place in ocean action. Innovation is expanding the field, opening new doors and bringing more people into the conversation.
What message do you want readers, especially early career professionals, to take away?
Volita:
Every little thing counts.
Whether you take photos, build apps, clean shorelines, host webinars or plant trees with friends, your contribution matters. None of us solve these challenges alone. We’re building a mosaic, and every piece plays a role.
And most importantly:
Don’t count yourself out.
Your path might be nonlinear, your role might feel small, but you’re moving the needle. Keep going. Keep hoping. Keep showing up. We need you.
Are you an ECOP in Canada? Join the ECOP Canada Node!
Connect with peers, opportunities, mentors and a growing community working to shape a more equitable and hopeful ocean future.
Learn more about the Canada Node on their website. If you’re an ECOP in other countries, learn more about the full Programme and how to join here.
Read more GenOcean stories on our webpage.
