Sylvia Earle

Dr. Sylvia Earle is an Explorer-in-Residence for the National Geographic Society, oceanographer, and Rosemary and Roger Enrico Chair for Ocean Exploration. Dr. Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was named the first Hero of the Planet in 1998 by TIME Magazine. She has also received more than 100 national and international honors and was named a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2014. Dr. Earle has authored more than 190 scientific publications, lectured in more than 80 countries, and also led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 underwater hours.

Dr. Earle’s research is centered around marine ecosystems and highlights exploration, conservation, and development of new technologies for improved access and efficiency in deep sea environments. Her focus in on “developing a global network of areas on the land and in the ocean to safeguard the living systems that provide the underpinnings of global processes, from maintaining biodiversity and yielding basic life support services to providing stability and resiliency in response to accelerating climate change” (National Geographic).

Dr. Earle founded Deep Ocean Exploration and Research Inc. and Mission Blue to establish marine protected areas worldwide. She received her Bachelor’s in Science from Florida State University and went onto complete her PhD from Duke University.