BRUNSWICK — A Maine marine biologist has been named a finalist for CNN’s Hero of the Year award.
Lynda Doughty is executive director for Marine Mammals of Maine in Brunswick, which rescues and rehabilitates seals and other marine life from Kittery to Rockland.
One of the volunteers on Doughty’s team nominated her for the award. If she wins, the non-profit will receive a $100,000 donation.
Doughty wants to use that money to expand her efforts. In November, the non-profit responded to its 3,000th marine animal since its founding in 2011.
“So our first goal is animal-oriented. We want to increase our capacity by providing more medical care for these animals, and that is by increasing the number of pods we can have here,” Doughty said.
Doughty said she regularly has to turn away animals in need because they don’t have the space. But as a top 10 finalist, she has already won $10,000 that she is using to expand her capacity.
“I feel fortunate to be doing this job,” Doughty said. “Knowing that we’ve got 4,000 calls coming into our hotline a year, there’s people out there that care and want to see something done.”
You can vote for Doughty online everyday through Tuesday, Dec. 7, on CNN’s website.