Paul Walker Foundation honors marine conservationists

Meadow Walker, daughter of the late actor Paul Walker, is continuing her father’s charitable legacy and marine conservation efforts.

Having recently established a foundation in her father’s name, Meadow Walker paid tribute to him over the weekend as the Monterey Bay Aquarium presented its 2015 Paul Walker Ocean Leadership Award to Anali World and Youth Award to Katie Ridgeway. World is a pop singer and co-founder of of the nonprofit Jaws & Paws, and Ridgeway is a teen conservationist and aquarium volunteer.

“My dad was in awe of the ocean and wanted to see it protected,” Meadow Walker told E! News. “It’s exciting to know scholarships and students like Katie will ensure the future of our oceans. It’s an honor to be supporting them and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s teen program.”

Although Paul Walker was best known as a star of the Fast & Furious franchise and teen movies like Varsity Blues and She’s All That, he was once an aspiring marine biologist and remained enamored with the ocean, often citing Jacques Cousteau as his idol.

He once told a German media outlet, “The sea is just a big mystery, really. There are things that are more alien in the ocean than I think are probably alien up in space. It seems like every other day there’s a new discovery.”

Meadow Walker announced the Paul Walker Foundation last month on what would have been his 42nd birthday, writing on Instagram, “Reflecting on my father, I found myself reflecting on his passions. His passion for the ocean, his passion for rescuing animals, his passion for helping people and his passion for spontaneous goodwill. I wanted to start this foundation because I want to share that piece of him with the world. … I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my father.”