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Dr. Sylvia A. Earle is a marine biologist and former Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under President Bush. Earle holds several deep sea diving records, is the author of more than ninety scientific, technical, and popular publications, and has lead more than fifty ocean expeditions. She has a B.S. from Florida State University, an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Duke University, and six honorary doctorates.
Her research concerns the ecology of marine ecosystems, with special reference to marine plants, and the development of technology for access and research in the deep oceansconsulting and equipment. She currently directs the National Geographic Society's Sustainable Seas Expeditions -- a five-year project co-sponsored by NOAA to explore and document the 12 U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries, serves as a Research Associate in Botany at the Smithsonian Institution, serves on the Advisory Council of the World Wildlife Fund-U.S. and World Wildlife Fund-International and on the board of several organizations including the World Resources Institute and the Center for Marine Conservation.
Compared to Jacques Cousteau and Carl Sagan, Earle has been dubbed "Ambassador of the Oceans" because of her decades-long campaign against ocean pollution, harmful coastal development, and high pressure commercial fishing. In fact, she resigned her top post at NOAA after just one and one-half years to avoid publicly disagreeing with Bush Administration ocean policies, and to permit her to attend the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment in Rio.
In her frequent testimony before Congress, both during and after her stint at NOAA, Earle has pressed for an aggressive national underwater research program, formation of a national comprehensive ocean policy, and establishment of marine reserves and "no-take zones" in particularly sensitive or biologically important marine areas. As Chief Scientist for NOAA, Earle pressed for strong public-private partnerships to explore and protect the oceans. The National Geographic Sustainable Seas Expeditions project is such a partnership.
Related links:
NOAA Sustainable Seas Expeditions, Live Events
NOAA Sustainable Seas Expeditions
Amazon.com: "Wild Ocean : America's Parks Under the Sea"
People for Puget Sound, Sound Web
Sea Web, Danger at Sea: Our Changing Oceans
The Hall of Science and Exploration
The Tech Museum of Innovation: An interview with Sylvia Earle
Amicus Home, Clippings Archive
San Jose Mercury News, Science and Technology
For more great links, visit Sea Web's list of Links and Resources.