Nancy Burnett

Nancy Burnett is a marine biologist and philanthropist with a lifelong dedication to ocean conservation and education. A co-founder of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, she has played a pivotal role in advancing public understanding of marine science and the protection of ocean ecosystems. Nancy has served on the boards of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), guiding major investments in research and environmental stewardship. She also co-founded the Sea Studios Foundation, the award-winning production company behind The Shape of Life and other groundbreaking ocean science documentaries. In 2004, she was part of the expedition that retraced John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts’s journey to the Gulf of California, and in 2025, she returned to those same waters with the Western Flyer. A valued friend and supporter of the Foundation, we are honored to welcome her to the Board.