Wilbert Amie Clemens was born in Millbank, Ontario, in 1887. He attended the University of Toronto between 1908 and 1913, receiving a B.A. in Biology, with honours, in 1912 and an M.A. the following year. In 1915, Clemens received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He was an instructor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Maine, 1915-1916. Later Clemens became a lecturer and Assistant Professor in Biology and Limnobiology at the University of Toronto between 1916 and 1924. As part of his educational training, Clemens conducted investigations for the Biological Board of Canada at Georgian Bay (1912), the New York State Conservation Commission (1916), the Atlantic Biological Station, St. Andrews, New Brunswick (1918), the Biological Board of Canada at Lake Erie (1920), and Lake Nipigon (1921-1923). In 1924 Clemens became the Director of the Pacific Biological Station of the Biological Board of Canada. He remained in that position until 1940, when he became Head of the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia. Between 1935 and 1948, Clemens was in charge of investigations at Okanagan Lake, Teslin Lake, and Paul Lake. Retiring in 1952, Clemens remained at UBC as a Professor Emeritus until he died in 1964. He continued as a Special Lecturer in the Department of Zoology until 1959 and served as Director of UBC's Institutes of Oceanography and Fisheries between 1954 and 1957. Between 1959 and 1964, he had various appointments as a Special Research Associate for the Department of Zoology and the Institute of Fisheries. Clemens was a member of numerous professional societies in North America, including the Royal Society of Canada (fellow and section President), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (fellow and member of the Executive Committee of the Western Division 1949-1952), the Fisheries Research Board of Canada (executive member), the Canadian Committee Freshwater Fisheries Research (President), and the Royal Commission on Fisheries, Saskatchewan (Chairman). A founding member of the Vancouver Public Aquarium, Clemens was also Vice-President of its association. Clemens received a Coronation Medal in 1953 in recognition of his scientific achievements.