Sylvia Earle, PhD, is a world-renowned marine biologist dedicated to ocean conservation. She received her PhD from Duke University in 1966. Her study of aquatic plant life in the Gulf of Mexico was a landmark study for decades. A certified scuba diver, she is sometimes known as “Her Deepness.” Her accomplishments include breaking the record for deepest untethered dive (1,250 ft) in 1979. She also led the first all-female saturation dive team during the Tektite II Project, living in an underwater habitat for two weeks. In 1990 Earle became the first woman Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. Earle is the founder and president of the Mission Blue, an ocean advocacy group, and has been a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence since 1999.
