I’m Myrah Graham!
My name is Myrah, and I'm originally from Quebec, Canada. I grew up in the Laurentian hills, surrounded by temperate forests and lakes. This made me curious about other climates as I studied environmental science, and I eventually began studying marine ecology at Memorial University.
7-year old Myrah from Quebec would be beyond ecstatic at the adventures we've been able to have!
I now study marine ecology at both poles. My work entails mapping marine habitats with cameras and sonar. These habitat maps then get shared with governments and communities to make decisions on how to manage these areas. This work has taken me to the eastern Canadian Arctic and Antarctica. I started out by working in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut, in Canada, which I am eternally grateful for as this enabled me to connect with the first people of the Arctic. Their resilience, warmth and knowledge all inspire me to learn more about polar marine systems with respect.
7-year old Myrah from Quebec would be beyond ecstatic at the adventures we've been able to have! Perseverance and knowing that you belong where you want to be have been key motivators for me in this journey.
In warmer climates, I love to SCUBA dive and surf. I am definitely a water baby, enamored with the ocean wherever she is.
Communities, family, traditions and food are now the icons in the Arctic which keep me coming back to work here.
My first time seeing the arctic was through a documentary by the National Film Board of Canada called Arctic IV, which shows divers below the ice. From then, the North populated my dreams with images of ice and snow. It wasn't until I finished undergrad and took a job in the Western Arctic, that I realized the North is so much more! Communities, family, traditions and food are now the icons in the Arctic which keep me coming back to work here.
It's a joy and a privilege to be able to interact and learn from local knowledge.
My parents worry! Life can be unpredictable up here, so I mostly send them reassurances. Overall they are happy that I'm living my dream, and I'm lucky to feel that support.
My advice for anyone wanting to work in the North, is to take the time to get to know local people where you study, and embrace local knowledge in order to grow your perspective.
I would love to continue working with local communities in the Arctic to map habitats they are interested in managing, whether for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or fisheries, or anything in between. As polar environments experience rapid heating due to climate change, more areas will become accessible by water for longer in the year, so sound management plans will be crucial. I would love to contribute scientific input on these plans through habitat mapping.
Perseverance and knowing that you belong where you want to be have been key motivators for me in this journey.
The communities in the Arctic inspire me, specifically Inuvik, Nain and Pangnirtung where I have either lived or worked. My advice for anyone wanting to work in the North, is to take the time to get to know local people where you study, and embrace local knowledge in order to grow your perspective. There is no substitute for a lifetime of living somewhere, so Inuit all over the Arctic are the experts of their environment. It's a joy and a privilege to be able to interact and learn from local knowledge.
Follow Myrah’s adventures at myrahgraham.com!