Dr Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer, founder of Mission Blue, SEAlliance and Deep Ocean Exploration and Research. She is also a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Council Chair of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, former chief scientist of NOAA and a founding Ocean Elder. 

In 2009, she won the TED Prize. With that, she launched Mission Blue, which aims to establish places that are critical to the health of the ocean (dubbed "Hope Spots") around the globe. There are over 100 Hope Spots today. 

Dr Earle has led over 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. She has authored more than 200 publications and lectured in 90 countries.

A graduate of Florida State University with an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Duke University and 29 honorary doctorates, she serves on various boards and commissions. 

Dr Earle has been called “Her Deepness” by The New York Times and “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and was Time magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet”.