Sylvia Alice Reade Earle
Personal Information
Born: 1935
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
St. Petersburg Junior College AA 1952; Florida State University BS Botany 1955; Duke University MS Botany 1956, PhD Botany 1966
Professional Life
Field of Study: Marine Biology
Institution/Corporation: NOAA; National Geo; UC Berkeley
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degrees: holds 27 including University of Edinburgh (2018) Smith College (2011) Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (2013); Member: Ocean Elders*Zonta International (1996)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 2009 TED Prize; 2000 National Women's Hall of Fame; 2018 Princess of Asturias Award; 1998 Hero for the Planet, Times Magazine; 1967-69 Radcliffe Institute Scholar; 1967-81 Research Fellow Harvard University; 2001 Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks, National Parks Conservation Association; 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, Seattle Aquarium; 1970 Conservation Service Award, US Dept of Interior; 1976 NOGI Award for Science; 1980 Lowell Thomas Award, Explorers Club;1981 Ordained as a Knight of the Order of the Golden Ark by the Prince of the Netherlands; 1990 Gold Medal, Society of Woman Geographers; 1991 Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement; 1996 Lindberg Foundation Award; 1996 Explorers Club Medal; 1997 SeaKeeper Award, International SeaKeeper Society; 1998 Conservationist of the Year; 2000 Library of Congress Living Legend; 2000 Women Divers Hall of Fame; 2004 International Banksia Award; 2004 Richard Hopper Day Memorial Medal, Philadelphia Academy of Sciences; 2004 Barnard College Medal; 2005 John P. McGovern Science & Society Award, Sigma Xi; 2009 Artiglio Award; 2009 Rachel Carson Award, National Audubon Society; 2010 Roy Chapman Andrews Distinguished Explorer Award; 2010 Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science; 2011 Medal of Honor, Dominican Republic; 2013 Hubbard Medal, National Geo Society; 2014 Walter Cronkite Award; 2014 UN Lifetime Achievement Award; 2014 Woman of the Year, Glamour Magazine; 2017 Rachel Carson Prize; 2017 Lewis Thomas Prize; 2019 Mendel Medal, Villanova University
Achievements: Marine biologist who lived underwater for 1 week has walked on the sea-floor at a depth of 381 meters (a record) & has led over 100 ocean expeditions; 1992 founded Deep Ocean Exploration & Research (DOER Marine) to advance Marine engineering & design build & operate equipment for deep-ocean environments; builds & operates equipment for deep-ocean environments; National Geo Explorer at Large since 1998; expert on the impact of oil spills; 1982 with then husband Graham Hawkes founded Deep Ocean Engineering & designed & built Deep Rover research submarine which operates down to 3300 feet; 1998-2002 led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions & provided the Deep Worker 2000 submersible; 2009 founded Mission Blue (AKA Sylvia Earle Alliance, Deep Search Foundation & Deep Search) its mission is to create a global network of marine protected areas; 1968 discovered undersea dunes off the coast of the Bahamas
Founder of Mission Blue in 2009, organization dedicated to protecting the oceans from threats like climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, & dramatic decrease in ocean fish stock
1st female chief scientist at NOAA; left because she felt she could accomplish more working independently of the government
1968, discovered undersea dunes off the coast of the Bahamas
1969, discovered a new red algae she named Hummbrella hydra
Holds the record for deepest walk on the sea floor
Holds the depth record for a solo dive-1,250 feet
Known as "Her Deepness" or "The Sturgeon General"
Has spent almost 7,000 hours underwater, written 180 publications, & led over 100 ocean expeditions
1970, led the 1st all-female team of aquanauts in Tektite II
1982, she & Graham Hawkes (later her husband) founded Deep Ocean Engineering to design, operate, support, & consult on piloted & robotic subsea systems; 1985, team designed & built Deep Rover research submarine; left company 1990 to be chief scientist at NOAA
1992, founder Deep Ocean Exploration Research (DOER Marine) to further advance marine engineering; company now run by her daughter Elizabeth; designs, builds, & operates equipment for deep-ocean environments