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Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability
Karla Heidelberg, wearing a red USC T-shirt and black USC Sea Grant baseball cap, stands at a railing in front of an inlet at the Port of Los Angeles
Karla Heidelberg’s decades of research experience now fuel her efforts to provide science-backed policy support to lawmakers and communities. (Photo: Gus Ruelas/USC)

Bringing Science to the Statehouse

Love of oceans drives Karla Heidelberg’s career in research and environmental policy
May 7, 2025

Original story by Grayson Schmidt

Few people have explored the world’s oceans as extensively as Karla Heidelberg. Traveling everywhere from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to the freezing waters of Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, Heidelberg has spent her life trying to understand that which covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. That’s why leading USC Sea Grant — the Wrigley Institute’s coastal management research hub that is a partnership between USC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — is such a perfect fit.

“The value of what I get to do now with USC Sea Grant is doing real science that matters,” Heidelberg says. “It’s science that will feed into actual policy for the betterment of the community.”

In 2023, Heidelberg was selected to lead USC Sea Grant after former Director Linda Duguay retired. As USC Sea Grant director, Heidelberg leads the collaboration between the NOAA and USC, and builds stronger partnerships with California universities, the public sector and state natural resource managers. All these moving parts work together toward the common goal of promoting resilience in ocean and coastal communities.

“We combine research, extension and education in addressing pressing needs,” Heidelberg says. “We’re a leader nationwide in how we manage dense populations of people and ocean ecosystems.”

One of the key aspects of USC Sea Grant is that the research has a direct impact on policy decisions. The USC program works in a national network of 34 total Sea Grant programs. USC Sea Grant serves the greater Los Angeles region and communities throughout the state, drawing expertise from other universities to effect positive change for all.

“It’s one of the few programs that really helps get science into the hands of people and makes it relatable to people, and that’s super important,” Heidelberg says. “We’re using science to help managers, government officials, stakeholders and partners understand what their communities will look like in 10, 20, 50 and 100 years, so they can make the right decisions now.”

Learn more about USC Sea Grant >>

Read the full story on USC Today >>

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