2nd Annual Ocean Heroes Contest - Oceana/Jon Frank

This past week was a big week in sports, featuring the NHL playoffs, Champions League semi-finals and the 136th Kentucky Derby.  While I’m a sports fanatic, the contest that got me most excited last week was the voting kick-off of Oceana’s 2nd Annual Ocean Heroes Contest!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it’s a competition in which the public nominates and votes for individuals who express their passion for the oceans through action and invention. Last year’s winner, John Halas, helped protect coral reefs by inventing a mooring buoy system that allows boats to tie-up to floating buoys rather than drop anchor on fragile underwater habitat.
This year, Oceana accepted hundreds of worthy nominations, and several of my colleagues had the unenviable task of selecting finalists for both adult and junior categories.  In the end, we have six great Adults and five inspiring Juniors, who I’d like to introduce to you now:

Adults

Sara Bayles – A blogger and garbage picker-upper, she documents an experiment she created to remove trash from her Santa Monica beach in 20 minute increments – so far, 450 pounds in just 110 days.
Laura Medrano – A licensed mental health clinician and mentor, she created the first program designed to help at-risk students earn scuba certification and get summer jobs in conservation.
Ted and Cindy Walter – Stalwarts for sustainable seafood, this husband and wife duo established Monterey County’s first “green” restaurant.
Suzanne Thurman – A savior for stranded sea creatures, she directs an organization that started with one sea turtle in her laundry room and has since helped over 1,000 stranded animals.
Wallace “J.” Nichols – A sea turtle scientist and social media maven, he founded an international network of young ocean activists and a movement to share concerns and stories about the oceans.
Jay Holcomb – A birder and an executive, he pioneered an oiled bird rescue program in the aftermath of Exxon Valdez and now leads a rescue team that has responded to over 200 oil spills around the world.

Juniors

Ayla Besemer – A teenager with a flair for the spotlight, she produced a presentation that teaches kids about ocean threats and has presented it to more than 1,500 people.
Carolyn Caggia – A Girl Scout in love with sea turtles, she created a “Save the Sea Turtle” exhibit for a North Carolina museum that led to a state legislator sponsoring a bill to end gillnetting in the state.
Diana Gonzalez – A high school sophomore unafraid to take the lead, she started a student group that cleans beaches, organizes ocean awareness days and raises money for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Bonnie Lei – A bookworm and protector of biodiversity, she has conducted independent research on sea slugs that is responsible for reclassifying a genus and possibly identifying a new species.
The Finatics – As shark loving teens, this group of emotionally injured students raised over $2,000 for shark research and conservation and compiled a book about their love for the ocean’s top predator.

Learn more about these finalists and vote for your favorite at www.oceana.org/heroes.