Sylvia Alice Earle DSc or better known as Sylvia Earle is a marine biologist. In addition, she is an explorer, American marine lecturer, and writer. She pioneered the movement in exploring the ocean and has been a National Geographic explorer since 1998.
Earle, who is now 83 years old, was born on August 30, 1935, in Gibbstown, Greenwich Township, New Jersey in the United States. Both of Earle’s parents loved the outdoors and supported their daughter’s interest and love for nature.
She received an associate degree from St. Petersburg Jr. College in 1952 and three years later took a bachelor’s degree in science from Florida State University. After that, she continued to take the master of science in 1956. Ten years later she completed her doctorate of phycology from Duke University.
After receiving a Ph.D. in 1966, Earle spent a year as a researcher at Harvard University, then returned to Florida as a resident director at the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory.
Sylvia Earle and her Career Path
A few years later, in 1969, she applied to join the Tektite Project, an installation fifty feet below sea level off the coast of the Virgin Islands which allowed scientists to stay in the area for several weeks. Although she had conducted more than 1,000 hours of underwater research, Earle was refused from the program. She was not sad because the following year, she was chosen to lead the aquanaut’s team who were all women and the first on Tektite II.
In 1979, she conducted the Open Ocean JIM dive and dived to the ocean floor near Oahu and broke the women’s record in a depth of 381 meters (1,250 feet). In 1979 she also began her career as a Phycology curator at the California Academy of Sciences, where she served and devoted her knowledge until 1986.
Sylvia Earle and her dedication
Besides her PhD. from Duke University, she has 22 honors, has written more than 190 publications, and speaks worldwide, focusing on conserving marine biodiversity amid climate change.
Earle has spent more than 6,000 hours underwater and was one of the first underwater explorers to use SCUBA equipment. After winning the 2009 TED Prize, Earle launched Mission Blue. This organization works to build areas protected by the sea, or known as Hope spots or places of hope. These Hope spots are developing throughout the world and are scattered in many places.
With Mission Blue and its partners, Earle led an expedition to Hope spots around the world. The expeditions included trips to Cuba, Belize, the Galapagos Islands in April 2010, Costa Rica and the Central American in early 2014 and the South African Coast at the end of 2014.
In August 2014, an exclusive Netflix documentary entitled ‘Mission Blue’ was released which tells about her activity to protect the underwater world. This documentary focuses on Earle’s life and career and her Mission Blue campaign to create a global network of marine protected areas around the world.
As of January 2015, 50 Place of Hope or official hope spots have been established throughout the world. And three years later developed into 94 Hope Spots spread throughout the world.
As a researcher, Sylvia Earle conducts ongoing research on a deeper understanding of the world of the oceans and how the environment in the ocean must be protected and cannot be left alone.
We should thank her fearless and unyielding ears and curiosity. Thanks to her services we know more about the ocean than before. Her long working has enriched us with a deeper understanding of how to live sustainably and symbiosis with marine life, and our oceans are healthier because of the commitment from Dr. Sylvia Earle to the environment.
