Megan Kilroy: 2009 Honoree

Megan is a senior at Santa Monica High. Growing up in southern California with a father who is a part-time lifeguard, she's a genuine ocean lover who has found her passion in marine advocacy and is on a self-declared mission to share that with others. During her high school marine biology class, she was introduced to an organization called Team Marine, an environmental organization dedicated to making the Southern California waters safe and clean through research, education and community action. As the first appointed Team Marine captain, Megan has great plans for the group including recycling plastic to raise money to send Life Straws to Africa, organizing beach cleanups, continuing the fight to ban plastic bags in Santa Monica (through marches, distribution of reusable bags and testifying at city hall), and perhaps most importantly, continuing to educate the community as to how they can change their behaviors and help protect the ocean. Megan multiplies her efforts to protect her local coastline as an active member of her school's Heal the Bay and the West L.A. Malibu chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.