Experts

Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, legendary ocean explorer and executive director of Conservation International’s Global Marine Division, is a marine biologist, author, lecturer and scientific consultant. She is also a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sustainable Seas Expeditions, chairman of the advisory board for Harte Institute of Marine Research at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, founder and chairman of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc. and former chief scientist of NOAA.

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 sea. She serves on the Board of Kerr-McGee and various non-profit organizations including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Smithsonian Institution, World Resources Institute, Conservation Fund, the Lindbergh Foundation, National Park Service Advisory Board, Ocean Futures, the New England Aquarium, URI Graduate School of Oceanography, and Duke University Marine Laboratory. She serves on the Visiting Committee in Ocean Engineering for MIT and the Council of SEA, the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, WWF–US and was formerly on the Board of WWF–US, WWF–International, IUCN–The World Conservation Union Council, Dresser Industries and Oryx Energy.

Concerned about ocean deterioration she has observed during more than 6,000 hours of diving, coupled with awareness that most of the world’s oceans remain unexplored, she has become an active advocate of exploration, research and protection of living marine ecosystems. Holder of several diving records, leader of more than 60 expeditions, author of more than 130 scientific, technical and popular publications including the books Exploring the Deep Frontier, Ocean Realm, Sea Change, Wild Ocean, Dive!, Hello Fish!, Sea Critters, Coral Reefs and Atlas of the Ocean: the Deep Frontier, Dr. Earle holds a B.S. from Florida State University and M. S. and Ph.D. from Duke University, plus twelve honorary doctorates.

Honors include the Spanish Geographic Society’s International Award, Netherlands Order of the Golden Ark, Dept. of Interior Conservation Service Award, Society of Women Geographer’s Gold Medal, National Women’s Hall of Fame, Radcliffe College Alumnae Assoc. Medal, New England Aquarium David Stone Medal, Explorers Club Medal, Lowell Thomas Medal, Phi Theta Kappa Lifetime Achievement Award, American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, the Sea Space Environmental Award, Stratton Leadership Award, Bal de la Mer Seakeeper Award, the Kilby Award, MTS Compass Award, the United Nations Global 500, National Wildlife Federation Ding Darling Medal, the National Parks Robin Winks Award and the Florida Ocean Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award. She was named Time Magazine’s first Hero for the Planet in 1998, and she and her momentous work have been the subject of profiles in New York Times, Time Magazine, Life Magazine, Scientific American, Parade, 20/20, People, the Charlie Rose Show and leading television and radio stations around the world.