Juno Beach, Fla. (September 28, 2026) ─ The finalists are in for Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s (LMC) 17th Annual Go Blue Awards! This year’s finalists represent excellence across three categories, recognizing individuals, youth, and businesses or nonprofit organizations making extraordinary contributions in ocean conservation. The award ceremony will take place on Friday, October 30 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza, a marine biologist, explorer, and internationally recognized leader in shark conservation. She will be honored with The Eleanor Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award for her exceptional, lifelong commitment to marine conservation.
The Blue Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes a person who has made significant contributions to ocean conservation through volunteering and work-related efforts. The finalists are:
- Joslin Carson: Joslin Carson is a marine conservationist and community educator with nearly two decades of experience. Based in San Pancho, Mexico, her work has focused on protecting endangered sea turtles and inspiring communities to become stewards of their coastal ecosystems. Joslin leads a hands-on sea turtle conservation program where she recruits and trains volunteers to patrol beaches for nesting turtles. She also protects nests in a monitored beach nursery and works with residents and visitors to create safer conditions for turtles and hatchlings. Joslin holds degrees in environmental science and marine biology. She combines her scientific knowledge with grassroots community engagement to protect wildlife and strengthen conservation efforts in San Pancho.
- Rachel Silverstein: As CEO and waterkeeper of Miami Waterkeeper, Rachel Silverstein leads efforts to protect South Florida’s waterways and the marine ecosystems they support. Her work combines science, advocacy, and community engagement to address water pollution, habitat degradation, sea level rise, and climate resilience, with a focus on Biscayne Bay and surrounding coastal waters. She also engages volunteers, students, boaters, and community members through citizen science, cleanups, education, and outreach to help strengthen awareness and stewardship of the region’s waterways.
- Dr. Randall “Randy” Wells: Dr. Randall “Randy” Wells spent 55 years as co-founder and director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. During his time, he helped establish the world’s longest-running study of a wild bottlenose dolphin population. The program’s research has contributed to the understanding of dolphin biology, behavior, health, and ecology and has informed marine mammal conservation and management. Dr. Wells has also mentored students, researchers, and veterinarians throughout his career and worked with government agencies, scientific institutions, and local communities. Many of those he mentored now work in marine science and conservation. He continues to support marine mammal conservation as Director Emeritus and through advisory roles.
- Max Chesnes: As an award-winning environmental and climate reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, Max Chesnes has become one of Florida’s most influential voices for marine conservation. His reporting shines a spotlight on the issues affecting Florida’s oceans, estuaries, wildlife, and coastal communities, helping the public understand the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems. His investigative and explanatory journalism has influenced public discourse, supported conservation efforts, and brought statewide attention to threats facing Florida’s natural resources.
The Blue Business of the Year Award/Nonprofit of the Year Award recognizes a business or nonprofit that has made outstanding contributions to promoting conservation or restoration of marine life or ecosystems through its work, outreach, practices, products, or technology. The finalists are:
- Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida: The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida was selected for its leadership in helping launch Florida’s Coastal Corridor, a statewide effort to advance coastal habitat restoration. Working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and public and private partners, the Foundation has helped create a coordinated approach to restoring marine habitats, strengthening fisheries, supporting recreation, and protecting Florida’s coastal ecosystems. A major milestone was securing a historic $15 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature for coastal habitat restoration projects across the state. The Foundation continues to advance the initiative by raising private support, coordinating partners, and helping move projects from funding to implementation.
- Miami Waterkeeper: Miami Waterkeeper is a finalist for its commitment to protecting South Florida’s waterways and marine ecosystems. The organization’s work addresses some of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges, including water pollution, habitat degradation, sea level rise, and climate resilience. Through regular water quality testing, pollution investigations, and public reporting, Miami Waterkeeper identifies threats and helps residents and decision-makers take action. Its advocacy has also helped raise awareness and strengthen protections for Biscayne Bay and other vital coastal resources.
- Perry J. Cohen Foundation: In July 2015, 14-year-old Perry Cohen and his friend Austin Stephanos left the Jupiter Inlet for a day of fishing and never returned. Since then, Perry’s mother and stepfather have turned their loss into a mission to make the water safer for the next generation. The Foundation funds the Perry J. Cohen Wetlands Laboratory and has endowed a scholarship in Perry’s name at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. In 2026, the organization partnered with LMC and the Chapman School of Seamanship to create and fully fund the Perry J. Cohen Boating Safety and Ocean Stewardship Course. The free, year-round program gives teens and young adults hands-on training in boating safety, navigation, emergency response and marine conservation.
The Blue Hatchling Youth Award recognizes a student, up to and including the 12th grade, who has contributed to marine conservation through volunteer activities. The finalists are:
- Ana Lucía Perez Escalera: As the founder of “De a Pokito por Puerto Rico” (Little by Little for Puerto Rico), Ana Lucía has turned her passion for environmental protection into a movement focused on ocean health and youth leadership. She began her work at 11 years old after witnessing the effects of pollution and poor waste management on Puerto Rico’s ecosystems. She later created BrainyHacks PR, a one-day hackathon for youth ages 12 to 16. The program empowers participants to develop solutions to issues such as marine debris, composting, and climate change. Ana Lucía also serves as a NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador and an ambassador for the Society of Women Coders. In 2024, she was named Scientific and Environmental Ambassador for the EcoExploratorio. In 2025, she published her first children’s book, A Better Planet for Sarah.
- Bianca Bernhard: Bianca Bernhard, a senior at South Fork High School in Port St. Lucie, Fla., founded and incorporated Martin Oyster Restoration Initiative, Inc., (MORI), a nonprofit organization that works to restore coastal ecosystems and support marine life. The organization does so by improving water quality in the St. Lucie estuary through oyster restoration. She has a volunteer base of over 60 students and teachers who transport, dry, and restore oysters from local restaurants that has amassed to about 1,600 pounds of shell. MORI is currently collaborating with Docks For a Clean Lagoon, a nonprofit that installs vertical oyster gardens on Indian River Drive.
- Cash Daniels: Cash has been recognized for his extraordinary dedication to marine conservation, environmental stewardship, and wildlife advocacy. He has personally recovered and recycled more than 10,000 miles of discarded fishing line and helped remove over 50,000 pounds of trash from waterways while advocating for shark conservation and marine ecosystem protection. Through SCUBA diving, community education, and three conservation-focused children’s books, Cash inspires young people to become active stewards of oceans, waterways, and wildlife.
The finalists have been evaluated by an esteemed panel of independent judges who will review the submitted criteria to select the winners. This year’s judges include Susan Murray, deputy vice president at Oceana USA, and granddaughter of LMC Founder Eleanor Fletcher; Kerry Sanders, a retired senior national news correspondent and previous recipient of The Eleanor Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. Greg Marshall, a marine biologist, filmmaker, and creator of Crittercam; Joel Sartore, a longtime contributing photographer to National Geographic magazine and founder of The Photo Ark –a multiyear project to document species before they disappear, and author of numerous books; Dr. Edith “Edie” Widder, an American oceanographer, marine biologist, and the founder of the Ocean Research & Conservation Association; and Jim Toomey, the creator of the Sherman’s Lagoon comic strip and former executive director at Mission Blue.
Tickets for the Go Blue Awards are $150 per person and can be purchased online. Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $2,500. Proceeds from the Go Blue Awards directly support LMC’s sea turtle and marine conservation efforts.
To purchase tickets or to sponsor the Go Blue Awards, visit marinelife.org/go-blue-awards.