Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Alice Earle (née Reade; born August 30, 1935) is an American marine biologist, explorer, author, entrepreneur, and educator. She is a National Geographic explorer. Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998. 

 Career 
Earle is known for her record-breaking ocean explorations.Dokoupil, T. (2013, Jan 11). The last dive: Funding for human expeditions to the watery depths appears to have run aground. as legendary explorer sylvia earle says goodbye to the ocean floor, are machines good enough to take her place? Newsweek, 161, 1. One of her explorations includes her untethered walk on the ocean floor at a depth of 1,250 feet.Griggs, M. B. (2017, Jan). Sylvia earle. Popular Science, 289, 46-47. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. Retrieved 2025, April 13. She has spent over 7,000 hours underwater and has advanced research on marine ecosystems.  

Earle is also an entrepreneur. She launched a nonprofit called Mission Blue in 2009. Its goal is to have legal protection for 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. Earle co-founded Deep Ocean Engineering (DOE) with her husband in 1992. DOE advances diving tools and technology to new levels. 

Earle was the first woman to be appointed Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1990. 

She has twenty-two honorary degrees for her work and was recognized by former US President Barack Obama at the White House. 

 Education 
Earle got her Master's degree in Marine Biology from Duke University.  

References

Category:1935 births
Category:Living people
Category:American biologists
Category:Academics from New Jersey
Category:American environmentalists
Category:Scientists from New Jersey
Category:Marine biologists