Nancy Caruso

Nancy Caruso (Photo by Anabelle Vo, MY HERO staff)

Nancy Caruso is a marine biologist leading the charge in restoring life to the Southern California coast, and she's been quite successful in getting local communities to join her. Nancy's dedication and ingenuity has earned her the respect of many supporters and volunteers. 

Kelp Fest

Over the last ten years, Nancy and several volunteers oversaw the kelp forest restoration efforts in Orange County. Local classrooms helped grow the kelp spores until they were ready to be planted in the ocean. From that point on, Nancy and her volunteers went on long, arduous dives to carefully place the young kelp underwater as well as maintain the local ecology to ensure their survival.

Nancy Caruso (Photo by Anabelle Vo, MY HERO staff)

As the founder of Get Inspired!, a nonprofit organization based out of Orange County, she wanted to imbue young people with a love for science by incorporating creative projects and learning experiences. Get Inspired! has partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute on several projects that allow students to participate in large conservation efforts, from elementary to high school-aged kids. 

Green Abalone (http://www.eebweb.arizona.edu/collections/)

Nancy worked directly within classrooms with students to tend to young abalone and white sea bass until they were ready to be released. Nancy has also taken groups of students on diving trips to release the bass so that the kids can experience it firsthand. This willingness to share knowledge and engage young people is what makes Nancy Caruso such an extraordinary scientist and conservationist--she understands that people become invested in a cause if they are involved in it personally.

Steve Robbins, a Laguna Beach resident, first mentioned Nancy's work to the MY HERO Project, and she was subsequently honored at the Seventh Annual Laguna HERO FEST with a Special Hero Award. The short film The Kelp Lady  features Nancy and highlights her previous and current efforts to protect the ocean.