Sylvia Earle was born in Gibbstown, New Jersey on August 30, 1935. Her parents always encouraged her enthusiasm for the outdoors, especially when the family moved to the West Coast of Florida where Earle discovered her love for the oceans. Sylvia Earle earned a B.S. degree from Florida State University, M.S. and PhD. from Duke University and 22 honorary degrees.
The Gulf of Mexico became Sylvia’s natural laboratory. Her master's dissertation included collecting over 20,000 samples of algae from the Gulf. "When I began making collections in the Gulf, it was a very different body of water than it is now – the habitats have changed. So I have a very interesting baseline," she said in "Scientific American".
Her life fast forwards through lots of extremely impressive research positions at various institutions, including Radcliffe Institute and Farlow Herbarium, Harvard University and the California Academy of Sciences. Earle has written over 200 scientific publications and has lectured in over 90 countries.
Check out her TED Talk, in case you missed it in one of my previous articles!
In 1970, Earle led the Tektite II Project, which was a trailblazer for both marine research and women in the field of science. Earle and four other women aquanauts lived in an undersea capsule for 14 days to research ocean ecosystems in the Virgin Islands.
In 1969, Earle helped invent the JIM suit, which is an atmospheric diving suit (ADS) designed to maintain an interior pressure of one atmosphere despite exterior pressures, eliminating the majority of dangers associated with deep diving. The same year, she broke the record for deepest women's dive at 381 meters (1,250 feet) while wearing the JIM suit.
In 1990, Earle became the first woman to serve as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 1992, Earle left the position and founded Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER Marine). Since 1998, she has served as a National Geographic Explorer in Residence – only the coolest title ever.
Perhaps Dr. Earle's biggest accomplishment has been founding the Sylvia Earle Alliance and Mission Blue. The organization works to raise awareness to the dangers our oceans face, including over-fishing, pollution, climate change and ocean acidification. Mission Blue also works to initiate Hope Spots, which are protected areas of ocean that sustain vibrant marine ecosystems. Currently, less than four percent of the ocean is completely protected, so this network of Hope Spots is working to create a healthier ocean.
If you are interested in learning more about organization's work, check out the Netflix documentary: Mission Blue!
Dr. Sylvia Earle's accomplishments, awards and honors are numerous. It's easy to see how she earned the titles: “Her Deepness”, by the New York Times; the first “Hero for the Planet”, by TIME magazine and a “Living Legend”, by the Library of Congress. Earle is hands down one of the most respected ocean conservationists, and she has most definitely inspired a new generation of ocean advocates – including myself!
