As British Columbia’s marine sector and blue economy grows, so too does the demand for a workforce trained in environmental management, monitoring, and ecosystem restoration. Students in Coast Mountain College’s Applied Coastal Ecology (ACE) program are learning foundational knowledge and taking part in real-world, community-based projects in Prince Rupert, to gain the necessary experience that will help meet that need. Since 2012, ACE students have teamed up with the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to help support local marine life, through hands-on collaborations. Each summer, ACE works alongside PRPA’s Environmental Sustainability team to conduct monitoring programs at waterfront sites around the North Coast, looking for evidence of aquatic invasive species.