Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer

Sylvia Earle has been called many things. "Her Deepness." "Living Legend." "Hero for the Planet." Regardless, when the oceans of the earth called, Earle answered.

In childhood, Earle loved exploring on the farm near where she was born in Gibbstown, New Jersey. Her parents instilled in her a love and respect of nature and how not to fear the unknown. Her mother used to point out the finer points of frogs' features to her young daughter - their golden eyes, for example. Thus, Earle learned at a young age that beauty is inherent in nature.

Earle and her family moved to Clearwater, Florida when she was thirteen. Earle continued her adventures in discovery by learning all she could about coastal wildlife, particularly life in the ocean.

When it came time to go to college, Earle won scholarships to Florida State and worked her way through college in laboratories. Though her parents continued to encourage her love of nature and biology, they wished for her to obtain teaching credentials and to learn typing in the event she ever needed those skills.

But Earle had a different plan. She learned scuba diving which she found came in very handy for her to study ocean plant life. She was among the first scuba divers to use the equipment to study her specialty of botany up close. Earle firmly believes that understanding vegetation is the first step to understanding the ecosystem.

Earle earned a Master's at Duke University then married and started a family. While her children were still young, Earle balanced taking care of her family with conducting expeditions in the world's oceans.

Eventually she earned her Ph.D. from Duke University and her expertise on aquatic plants was much in demand. Until that time, no one had conducted such extensive or detailed exploration of vegetation life under water.

If proof is needed regarding Earle's passion for the ocean and the life within, consider this as proof positive: when she was four months pregnant, Earle traveled one hundred feet below the Bahamas waters in a submersible.

When the Tektite project came along, Earle immediately applied for it. The Tektite project would allow scientists to live on the ocean floor in an enclosed habitat. The project was sponsored by the U.S. Navy, NASA and the Department of the Interior. Even though Earle had more than 1000 research hours beneath the surface, she was turned down for the project.

Do you think being turned down discouraged Earle? Not a chance. She led an all-female team for Tektite II, Mission 6. Four women lived fifty feet below the ocean's surface for a period of two weeks.

Once the women returned from this expedition, they found themselves to be celebrities. A ticker-tape parade was held for them and they were given a White House reception.

Earle was more in demand now than ever, but more for speaking engagements than for expeditions. But this didn't bother Earle. She used the publicity to try and raise public awareness about the damage thrust upon our oceans with pollution and environmental degradation. She wrote for National Geographic and produced books and films on the subject.

In the documentary "Gentle Giants of the Pacific" (1980), Earle teamed up with undersea photographer, Al Giddings. They followed sperm whales from Hawaii to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Bermuda and Alaska.

Earle has walked on the ocean floor, 1,250 feet below the surface; a lower depth than any other person has ever accomplished. Tethered to a submersible, Earle and the vehicle went down to that depth off the island of Oahu. She detached from the vessel and walked the floor for over two hours, connected only by a communication line. Earle's book, "Exploring the Deep Frontier" (1980, National Geographic Society) described the adventure in detail.

In the advancement of oceanic exploration, Earle formed two companies, along with engineer Graham Hawkes. The companies Deep Ocean Engineering and Deep Ocean Technologies design and build undersea vehicles to enable scientists to maneuver at deeper depths. Between the two, they have designed and built a submersible vessel which can reach depths of 3,000 feet.

In addition to all of her accomplishments, Earle also raised her three children, some of whom have worked with her companies.

During this time, Earle took a leave of absence from her businesses to serve as Chief Scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. She monitored the health of the nation's waters and reported on environmental damage done by the burning of the Kuwaiti oil fields.

Earle is on a mission: to save our oceans for future generations. As she puts it, "We've got to somehow stabilize our connection to nature so that in 50 years from now, 500 years, 5,000 years from now there will still be a wild system and respect for what it takes to sustain us." [1]

Earle has over 7000 hours in underwater exploration to her credit, along with over 400 expeditions. She has received over 100 honors worldwide. Her proposal to establish a global network of marine protected areas - something Earle refers to as "hope spots" - earned her a 2009 TED Prize.

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The TED Prize is awarded annually to three exceptional people who also receive $100,000 and the granting of "One Wish to Change the World."

Earle's wish?

"I wish you would use all means at your disposal - films! expeditions! the web! more! - to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet." [2]

Sources:
[1] National Geographic
[2] TED Prize