SylviaEarle

BraxtonShaneAvery
18Dec2015
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SylviaEarle

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SylviaAliceEarle
TosaythatSylviaAliceEarleispassionateaboutwater,theocean,andallthehabitats
andsealifethatdwelltherein,wouldbeanunderstatement.NationalGeographicSociety
ExplorerinResidenceDr.SylviaEarlehasearnedmanyanameforherselfduringherlifes
manyjourneys.ShesmostfondlynicknamedasHerDeepnessbytheNewYorkerandthe
NewYorkTimes,aswellasLivingLegendbytheLibraryofCongress,andfirstHeroforthe
PlanetbyTimemagazine.Sheisanoceanographer,explorer,author,andlecturer,has
experienceasafieldresearchscientist,governmentofficial,anddirectorforcorporateand
nonprofitorganizations,includingtheKerrMcGeeCorporation,DresserIndustries,Oryx
Energy,theAspenInstitute,theConservationFund,AmericanRivers,MoteMarineLaboratory,
DukeUniversityMarineLaboratory,RutgersInstituteforMarineScience,theWoodsHole
OceanographicInstitution,NationalMarineSanctuaryFoundation,andOceanFutures
(National,par1).TosaythatDr.Earlehaslivedafullandinfluentiallifewouldbeyetanother
understatement.
Background
Dr.EarlewasbornAugust30,1935inGibbstown,NewJerseyandhasbeeninlovewith
theoceanforpracticallyherentirelife.HowdidagirlfromnewJerseygetintotheocean?
askedBryanWalshfromTimemagazine.Shereplied,Isupposeonthebeach.WhenIwas3
yearsold,Igotknockedoverbyawaveandtheoceangotmyattention,andit'sheldmy
attentioneversince(Walsh,10Questions,pars56).Thatattentionflourishedwithinher.
Shepursuedwithallvigoranddeterminationforacareerandalifeinthewaters.Duringher
collegeyears,sheworkedhardtoobtainaneducationandearnedherselfanassociatedegree

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fromSt.PetersburgJr.College,followedbyabachelorofsciencedegreefromFloridaState
University,thenamasterofscienceanddoctorateofphycologyfromDukeUniversity,and
eventuallyherPH.D(Wikipedia,par2).But,afterallofthoseyearsofstudies,herschooling
didntendthere.Onthecontrary,hereducation,hercareer,herlife,allofithadonlyjustbegun.
Accomplishments
Duringthe1970s,withinfiveyearsofherearninghermastersanddoctorate,shewas
madecaptainoftheveryfirstteamofwomentolivebeneaththeocean'ssurface.Thiswasa
greatfeatonmultiplefronts.Notonlywasthisoneofthefirstunderwaterlivingexperiments,
butatthetime,therewerentmanyAmericanwomaninfieldsofsciencetheywerejust
beginningtoenterfieldstraditionallystaffedbymen,[andthis]projectcapturedtheimagination
ofscientistsandnonscientistsalikebecauseEarlesteamdidthesameworkaspreviousallmale
crews(Britannica,par4).Fivewomen,aquanautsastheywerecalled,whichofcourse
includedDr.Earle,spenttwostraightweeksinanunderwaterlaboratory,ahabitatlocated
approximately15meters(around50feet)belowthesurfaceunderGreatLameshurBayoffthe
islandofSt.JohnintheU.S.VirginIslands,aspartoftheTektiteIIexperiment,aproject
designedtoexplorethemarinerealmandtesttheviabilityofdeepwaterhabitatsandthehealth
effectsofprolongedlivinginunderwaterstructures(Britannica,par4).Duringthosetwo
weeks,Dr.Earlegoggledatthebeautifulunderwaterworldjustoutsideherwindow,aswellas
observedthedestructiveeffectsofpollutiononcoralreefsanditsinhabitantsfirsthand.
Yearslater,in1979,offthecoastofOahu,shewascutloosefromasubmarineand
walkedfreelyontheoceanfloor,settingtherecordforsolountethereddiving,walkingonthe
seafloor1,250ft.belowthesurfaceinaJIM(atypeofatmosphericdivingsuit).Itwasthisdive

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thatgavehertheroyalnicknameHerDeepness,andgranderstill,madeherthemirrorimage,
evenanequal,tothemoonwalkers(Walsh,CodeBlue,par8Rosenblat,par8).
Recently,backin2009,Dr.EarlewonaTEDprizeintheformofawish.Shesaidshe
wishedforpublicsupportandhelpinspireexploration,newsubmarines,andtogetpeople
behindtheconceptofHopeSpotsprotectedareasintheoceanlargeenoughtorestoreand
maintaintheintegrityoftheblueheartoftheplanet,theocean.Notjustbecauseit'sbeautiful,not
justbecauseI'mawhalehuggerorafishhuggerIam,butthat'sreallynotthepoint.I'mmostly
apeoplehugger.Iknowthattheoceankeepsusalive.XXX
Objectives
ThroughoutDr.Earlesmanyinterviews,speeches,articles,lectures,writtenworks,and
etc.,thereareseveraldistinctelementsthatremainconsistentandreflectherconcerns,herhopes,
andhergoals.Thefirstthing,asobviousasitis,istheoceanitself.Tous,theoceanissimply
that,theocean.ButtoDr.Earle,itssomuchmore,itseverything,its,asshecallsit,ourlife
supportsystemNothingonlandcanlivewithouttheocean,yettheseacandofineonits
own(Rosenblat,par1).Theseaisanessentialparttoourecosystem.Withoutit,ourveryway
oflifewouldbecatastrophicallyaffected.Atthispointintime,whatdoyouconsiderthemost
pressingmarineissue?askedZoeLoftusFarrenfromEarthIslandJournal.Withquitean
expansiveresponse,Dr.Earlelistsmanyissueswhicharecollectivelycausingmanyofthe
oceanicproblems:pollution,oceanacidification(causedbyexcesscarbondioxideenteringthe
sea),littering,chemicaldumping,thenearandcompleteextinctionofaquaticspecies,the
disastrouschangesintheseaschemistry(itsgraduallywarming,deprivingspeciesofnutrients
andtriggeringdeadlycoralbleachingevents),andsoon(Walsh,CodeBlue,par5).But,

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aboveallthis,thenumberoneproblemthatreallyunderliestheothersstatesDr.Earle,is
communicationthelackofpeople,generallyspeaking,knowingwhytheoceanmatters
(Loftus,23).Thisleadstothesecondconsistentelement,knowledge,orrather,thelackthereof.
Farandawaythegreatestthreattotheocean,andthustoourselves,isignorance.The
biggestproblemtodayisthatpeoplejustdontknoworarenotfullyawareofwhatshappening
withouroceans,andiftheydontknow,howcouldtheyhelp,howcouldtheymakea
difference?Dr.Earlefirmlybelievesthatuntilpeopleknowwhytheyshouldcare,andthen
affirmativelytakeactionasaresultofknowing,weregoingtoseeacontinuedmoveinthe
directionofdecline(Loftus,3).Thatsbeenherbiggestchallengesincedayone,makingthe
worldaware,notonlyofthedangersathand,butwhatwecoulddoaboutthem,howwecan
standupamakeachange.Itallstartswithbeingawareofthetruth,ofwhatweredoingtoour
oceansandourplanet.Thebiggestreasonforhopeisknowing,becausewhenpeopleknow,
theymightcare,andwhenyoucare,youmightcometoloveit,andyouhavetoloveitbefore
youaremovedtosaveit(Walsh,10Questions,pars1718Rosenblat,pars1and32).
HerDeepness
FromPointSurLightstation,alighthouselocatedinCalifornia,Earlelooksoutovera
longbreathoffogblanketingthewatersandsays,"Ilovelife"(Rosenblat,par6).>>>

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References
BritannicaAcademic."SylviaAliceEarle."EncyclopaediaBritannica.BritannicaAcademic.
EncyclopdiaBritannicaInc.,2015.Web.12Dec.2015
LoftusFarren,Zoe"Conversation:SylviaEarle."EarthIslandJournal30.1(2015):
4749.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.13Dec.2015.
NationalGeographic.SylviaEarle,Oceanographer.NationalGeographic.National
GeographicSocietyNationalGeographicPartners,LLC.Web.17Dec.2015.
Rosenblatt,Roger."CallOfTheSea."Time152.14(1998):5862.AcademicSearchPremier.
Web.12Dec.2015.
Walsh,Bryan.10Questions.Time184.13(2014):60.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.13
Dec.2015.
Walsh,Bryan."CodeBlue."Time176.14(2010):4048.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.13
Dec.2015.
Wikipedia.SylviaEarle.Wikipedia.Web.17Dec.2015.