After growing up in Ontario, a land of lakes and rivers, Shannon Arnold headed out West to broaden her educational horizons. It was on the Pacific coast that she began to be lured by the ocean. She has since lived and worked on five different oceans and seas around the world and due to an obsession with scuba diving has also spent a fair amount of time immersed in them! A wide variety of work in education, outdoor programming, management and research, coupled with social and environmental justice work, has led her towards a career in marine conservation and coastal livelihood issues. The alarming state of the world’s oceans and fisheries was a driving force behind her return to school in Canada and she believes strongly in helping communities regain control over resources and determining sustainable ways forward. After finishing up her Masters of Environmental Studies from York University and wrapping up research with a fishing community in the Philippines, she was very happy to land on the East coast. Years back, long before the CSF was a twinkle in her eye, Shannon was lucky enough to reside for a brief while at 70 Lovers Lane in Freeport, Long Island (yes, there really is a street called this and it overlooks Beautful Cove). It was wonderful to get to know the uniqueness and beauty of one of the communities Off the Hook fishermen are fighting to keep alive. She is very excited to be getting to know the community again and helping to make this enterprise a reality.

David Adler joined the Off the Hook team in this spring. He has a background in marine ecology and business, and holds a masters degree in business administration from Saint Mary's University. David lives in a coastal community himself, and is familiar with the challenges they face. His interest in community economic development, marine conservation, and business make him a perfect match for Off the Hook.