Sarika Cullis-Suzuki: Marine Biologist, CBC Host & Conservationist

Sarika Cullis-Suzuki grew up on the British Columbia coast, learned to snorkel before she could read, and by age six had already decided what she wanted to be when she grew up. She is now a marine biologist and science communicator who co-hosts CBC’s flagship nature program, stepping into her father David Suzuki’s long-standing role.

Profession: Marine Biologist ·
Affiliations: David Suzuki Foundation, Centre for the Salish Sea ·
Media Role: Co-host of The Nature of Things on CBC ·
Education: PhD and MSc in Marine Biology ·
Research Base: Ocean Networks Canada at University of Victoria

This quick-reference table summarizes key facts about Sarika Cullis-Suzuki’s professional profile and current affiliations.

Who is Sarika Cullis-Suzuki?

Sarika Cullis-Suzuki is the youngest daughter of renowned Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki and his wife Tara Cullis, an environmentalist in her own right. She was born and raised in British Columbia, spending much of her childhood on Quadra Island, where she developed an early fascination with marine life. By age two she was snorkelling on the BC coast, and by age six she had already declared her intention to become a marine biologist—a promise she kept.

Early life and background

Sarika’s formative years were steeped in sea life around Quadra Island, giving her a passion for science and the ocean that would define her career. Her parents’ environmental work meant science was woven into everyday life from the start. She grew up understanding both the urgency of conservation and the power of communicating science to broader audiences.

“I’m going to be a marine biologist, and you can be my assistant!”

— Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, age 6, as recounted on PaRx People interview

Family connections

David Suzuki was born March 24, 1936, and married Tara Cullis in 1973. Their daughter grew up watching her father build one of the most recognizable science communication legacies in Canadian broadcasting. But Sarika has forged her own path—focusing specifically on marine biology and ocean conservation rather than following her father’s original genetics background. She now serves as an honorary board member of the David Suzuki Foundation, continuing that family commitment through her own professional channels.

“She has been an ocean advocate since childhood, and now brings that same intensity to her work at the Centre for the Salish Sea.”

— David Suzuki, as quoted in David Suzuki Foundation family profile

What is Sarika Cullis-Suzuki known for?

Sarika Cullis-Suzuki is known as a marine biologist who specializes in high-seas fisheries, marine protected areas, and the effects of human development on sea life. Her MSc research with Daniel Pauly at the University of British Columbia focused on global overfishing, and she presented those findings to the United Nations. She holds a PhD from the University of York in the UK, where her research examined how noise pollution affects fish behaviour.

Career in science and media

Her career bridges rigorous scientific research and accessible science media. She hosted The Suzuki Diaries alongside her father in 2008, giving audiences a window into their shared passion for the natural world. Since 2022, she has co-hosted The Nature of Things on CBC, taking over the role her father held for 44 years until his retirement in 2023.

Season 63 of the show in 2023 marked the first season without David Suzuki at the helm since 1979, making Sarika’s appointment a symbolic passing of the torch. She now co-hosts with Anthony Morgan, bringing her marine expertise to the long-running program’s audience.

Contributions to conservation

Beyond broadcasting, Sarika has worked extensively as a board member of the Centre for the Salish Sea and as a visiting scientist with Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria. She serves on the WWF-Canada Oceans Advisory Committee, helping shape national marine conservation policy. Her research has taken her to intertidal zones of the Pacific Ocean and remote tropical islands, studying how human activity reshapes marine ecosystems.

What is Sarika Suzuki’s education?

Sarika Cullis-Suzuki holds three degrees in the biological sciences, each building on the last toward her specialty in marine biology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, before completing a master’s degree in Zoology at the University of British Columbia, where she studied with Daniel Pauly. Her PhD came from the University of York in the United Kingdom, where her research focused specifically on the effects of underwater noise on fish.

Academic training

Her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley gave her a broad foundation in biology before she returned to Canada for her master’s work at UBC. The move to York for her doctorate represented a deliberate choice to pursue specialized training in marine science at a European institution. Throughout her academic career, she maintained a focus on applied research—her MSc work on global overfishing was presented to the United Nations, linking her academic findings directly to policy conversations.

Research focus

Sarika’s research portfolio spans multiple dimensions of ocean health: high-seas fisheries management, marine protected area design, and the ecological impacts of coastal development. Her doctoral work on noise pollution added a behavioral dimension to the field, examining how shipping, sonar, and other human-generated sounds disrupt fish communication, navigation, and reproduction. She continues that research focus through her role at Ocean Networks Canada, which operates ocean observation systems across Canadian waters.

Who is David Suzuki’s first wife?

David Suzuki’s wife is Tara Cullis, whom he married in 1973. She is an environmentalist who has worked alongside her husband on climate and conservation issues for decades. Tara Cullis is Sarika’s mother, making her the first lady of Canadian environmental activism in her own right.

Marriage and family

David Suzuki and Tara Cullis built their family in British Columbia, raising their daughters in a household where environmental science was everyday conversation. Their marriage predates most of the contemporary environmental movement—1973 was a decade before Suzuki’s The Nature of Things debut—meaning the couple laid foundations for Canadian environmentalism together.

David Suzuki’s children

David and Tara Suzuki have two daughters: Sarika and Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Severn is also a public figure, known for her own activism since childhood—she spoke at the United Nations at age 12 during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, drawing global attention. The sisters grew up together in British Columbia, each developing their own relationship with their parents’ environmental legacy.

Who is Severn Cullis Suzuki?

Severn Cullis-Suzuki is Sarika’s sister, also raised in British Columbia, and a speaker and activist in her own right. She became internationally known as a child when her speech at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro drew widespread media attention. She was featured in documentary films and has continued to speak on environmental and social issues.

Current activities

Severn has continued to work on environmental communication and advocacy, though her profile has remained lower than her father’s over the years. She shares her sister’s commitment to environmental causes and the family’s deep roots in British Columbia. Both sisters represent the second generation of a family that has shaped Canadian environmental science and communication.

Family relation

Severn and Sarika are sisters, both daughters of David and Tara Suzuki. They grew up together on Quadra Island and in Vancouver, sharing the formative experiences that shaped both their careers. While Sarika has taken a more visible media role in recent years—particularly through her CBC hosting work—Severn has maintained her own voice in environmental advocacy.

“Spent childhood steeped in sea life around Quadra Island, giving passion for science and oceans.”

— Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, The Green Interview profile

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