WoW Blog (Woman of the Week) Blog

WoW Blog (Woman of the Week)

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Dr Sylvia Earle (August 30, 1935 - )

Posted June 18, 2007 12:14 PM by julie

Dr. Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author and researcher whose nicknames include "Her Deepness", "A Living Legend" and "Hero for the Planet". Dr. Earle's research focuses on marine ecosystems, specifically with regard to exploration and access to the deep sea and other remote environments through the development of new technologies.

Sylvia Earle earned her undergraduate degree in botany from Florida State University, and went on to earn both her Master's degree and Ph.D. from Duke University. She holds 15 honorary degrees and has taught at universities such as Harvard, Radcliffe and the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Earle has also held government positions where she advised officials about the health of U.S. waters and other oceanic issues. In addition, Earle chairs and serves on various boards, foundations, and committees relating to marine research, policy, and conservation.

In connection with her research, Dr. Sylvia Earle has led more than 60 expeditions and logged more than 6000 hours underwater. In 1970, she led the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project, a government-run study which examined how well humans could live and work underwater for prolonged periods of time. From 1998 to 2002, she led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions (SEE), a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program to study the National Marine Sanctuary System (NMSP). Because Dr. Earle is an expert on the environmental impact of oil spills, she was also called upon to lead research expeditions during the Gulf War and in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez and Megaborg disasters.

Sylvia Earle's career is filled with many accomplishments. She holds a depth record for solo diving at 1000 meters, and is the author of more than 100 publications concerning marine science and technology. She has also participated in television productions and given scientific, technical and general interest lectures in more than 60 countries. Currently, Dr. Earle works as an explorer-in-residence for the National Geographic Society. In this role, she works tirelessly as an advocate for undersea research, raising public awareness of the damage being done to our aquasphere by pollution and environmental degradation.

The articles used for this piece originally appeared on National Geographic, achievement.org and literati.net.

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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Re: Dr Sylvia Earle (August 30, 1935 - )

06/18/2007 11:33 PM

And a darn nice and genuine person. She took time to talk with my 14 YO daughter on the phone 2-3 times to help her decide a career in marine biology. At the time, my daughter was one of the youngest certified cave divers in the world and this was some equal ground with Dr. Earle who at that age was also well on her way to exploring critters underwater. Really a nice gal, and her daughter as well.

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