ATHENS — At 88, Sylvia Earle is at an age when most people would be slowing down. But retirement doesn’t appear to be on the radar of the famous oceanographer and marine biologist, known by many as “Her Deepness” due to the more than 7,500 hours she’s spent underwater. When Earle’s not diving in the ocean, she’s speaking at events or campaigning for her nonprofit organization, Mission Blue, with boundless energy to inspire global action to protect the ocean. As she told Mongabay, “When you’ve seen what I’ve had the privilege of seeing, I’m just driven to try to share the view.” For some, Earle needs no further introduction. But for those unfamiliar with her, it’s worth knowing a little about her life and work. Earle studied biology and oceanography before earning a Ph.D. in phycology, the study of algae. Early in her career, before her doctoral studies were complete, Earle joined several research expeditions, including ones that voyaged into the Indian Ocean, the Galápagos Islands, the Chilean coast, and the Panama Canal Zone between 1964 and 1966. She was one of the only women on board for many of these expeditions. In 1968, Earle became the first woman scientist to descend into the ocean in a submersible vehicle, which she did as part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Man-in-Sea project. The following year, Earle led an all-female team to participate in the Tektite II Project, which required the team to live 50 feet (15 meters) underwater for two weeks to…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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