Oceana | Protecting the World's Oceans

Ocean Hero Finalists: Carolyn Caggia

Posted Tue, May 11, 2010 by Emily Fisher to activism, carolyn caggia, fisheries, fishing gear, girl scouts, kids, north carolina gillnets, ocean hero finalists, ocean heroes, sea turtles, teens

Carolyn Caggia with NC Rep. Jimmy Love and part of the 72 yard long scroll she created.

This is the eighth in a series of posts about this year’s Ocean Hero finalists.

Today’s featured finalist is 16-year-old Carolyn Caggia, who is devoted to protecting sea turtles from gillnets in her home state of North Carolina.

Gillnet fisheries use hundreds of yards of fishing net that remain in the water for days or longer, ensnaring sea turtles and other species incidentally.

Carolyn was inspired to act after visiting Jean Beasley’s sea turtle hospital in Topsail Island, NC several years ago. She decided to undertake a grass roots advocacy effort to help save sea turtles as her Girl Scout Gold Award project.