The Great Barrier Reef has an undeniable magnetic pull — strong enough to draw Canadian Jennifer Cowman across the world and change her life forever.

It was the early 2000s, and marine life was a strong theme in popular culture with blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Nemo on the silver screen.

“The thought of going to Australia and studying the Great Barrier Reef was so fascinating because it was this iconic place that I only ever saw on TV or in textbooks.

“It was so different to the environment that I was used to,” Jennifer Cowman (Jenn) said.

Jenn grew up in Canada, and from an early age, she felt a connection to the ocean.  

“My younger years were spent on the East Coast of Canada in Nova Scotia, and my grandparents lived right on the ocean. I spent my summers just exploring the rockpools and tidepools there. 

 “I have vivid memories walking along the rocks and looking through the shallow water.  

“I think that’s where my curiosity and love for the ocean first started,” she said.

Jenn’s passion for marine life grew when she began diving at 13 years old.  

“My dad was a scuba diver instructor and as soon as I was old enough, he taught me how to scuba dive.  

“All throughout high school, I did a lot of recreational diving with my dad. That is really what fuelled me to pursue marine science at university.”  

Jenn studied a Bachelor of Science: Marine and Freshwater Biology at the University of Guelph near Toronto.  

After completing her undergrad, Jenn was unsure about what she wanted to pursue. That was until she attended a careers expo.  

Jenn learned about post graduate opportunities at universities in Australia and was instantly hooked.  

“That was when it really clicked that I don’t have to stay in Canada – I can move abroad and go to see the Great Barrier Reef in person. How amazing would that be?

“I came over in 2007 to start my master’s program at James Cook University in Townsville.

“I remember sitting in the lab my first week, and it was very technical and not out on the Reef, but thinking wow! Even just talking about the Great Barrier Reef – it was very surreal.

“One of my first visits to the Great Barrier Reef was a uni field trip to Orpheus Island where we actually got to go out in the water – it was absolutely mind-blowing!  

“I just remember putting my head underwater and thinking oh my gosh I’m on the Great Barrier Reef!” she recalled.  

As she fell in love with the Reef, Jenn also fell in love with a fellow student.

“I met my now husband at JCU – we started off in the same program. We both arrived in Australia on the same day, him from Ireland and me from Canada.”

Jenn followed her love story across different states and countries, all while gaining experience in marine science – and discovering a passion for communications along the way.  

Jenn worked as a laboratory manager for the Reef Fish Ecology & Evolution Lab at JCU in her early career, introducing her to the varied pathways that exist within marine sciences.  

It was Jenn’s supervisor, a professor at JCU in Townsville who inspired her interest in communications.  

“Dave (supervisor) was a great storyteller. I got to help him prepare for presentations, and whether it was for a student lecture or a keynote on the global conference stage, he really drove home the importance of the impact of his and his students’ work.  

“It’s not just about the data and the research, it’s about the ‘why’ – why are we doing it, why is it important, and why do we need to keep doing it?  

“I knew that the stereotypical, narrow focus of technical science wasn’t the only path for me. The broader storytelling, sharing impacts, and making sure science was accessible across a whole spectrum of stakeholders was something I wanted to pursue further.”

Jenn now works in communications at the Reef Authority, where she says she gets to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

“The job allows me to stay curious – I’m learning something new every day. It keeps my science brain active.

“Working with mind-blowingly intelligent people from all different backgrounds, all different fields, I feel very privileged.”  

And in a full circle moment, Jenn works with the Reef Guardian Schools team who are educating students about the wonders of the Reef – including her daughter who attends a participating school.  

“She’ll come home and tell me mummy I got to go to the Reef Room during my break today – and I just…can’t believe it. Everything has come full circle.”

Reflecting on her exciting and varied career, Jenn’s advice to students taking the leap into Marine Biology echoes her own journey. 

“You can write your own story. Science is so much broader than people think, so don’t be confined by stereotypes.”