Marine Biologist/Founder of Get Inspired

Nancy Caruso

Nancy is a Marine Biologist and Founder of Get Inspired, a local nonprofit organization. She has been doing ocean restoration along our coast since 2002. Her Kelp Restoration Project taught 5000 students to grow giant kelp in their classrooms that was planted in the ocean by 250 trained volunteers and now there are giant kelp forests in areas that had been barren for more than 25 years. Nancy continues her work and has taught 7000 more kids to grow white seabass in their classrooms which are released annually in the restored kelp forests. She started the Green Abalone Restoration Project in 2009 by training 3600 students to grow them in their classrooms and her team of 100 volunteer divers helps her underwater. Like all of her projects, it invokes stewardship and involves our community to SOLVE problems, giving us hope and reminding us that we can change the world. Pismo clams are next on the list for restoration! Last year, Nancy and her team became the first to ever reproduce Pismo clams in the world.