Allison started diving in the Great Lakes in 1999. She has since migrated to the East Coast of Canada to pursue her love for diving and the environment through a career as a marine biologist. She completed her Ph.D. at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, focusing on current and historic human impacts on coastal marine ecosystems. She is dedicated to passing on her knowledge and passion for the oceans and actively teaches at the university and volunteers for grade school field expeditions. Allison is currently a professor at Dalhousie, teaching in the Biology department. Her research continues to focus on human impacts on coastal marine ecosystems and their consequences for the ocean and society.