Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle: National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence

Sylvia Earle was called a "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine. She’s an oceanographer, explorer,
author, and lecturer.

Sylvia Earle is a world-famous ocean scientist and a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. She loves
diving in the ocean. She spends a lot of time under the sea. Earle has been the leader on more than a
hundred expeditions. She also set a record for solo diving in 1,000-metre deep water. In total, she has
spent more than 7,000 hours underwater.

Earle describes the first time she went to the ocean: ‘I was three years old and a big wave knocked me
over. I wasn’t frightened, I was excited. That was the beginning of my interest in the ocean.’

In the past, Earle was the chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in
the USA. Now she works with Google Earth’s Ocean. Earle’s special interest is the development of a
network of areas on the land and in the ocean. This network can protect the life systems that are
important to the Earth. She explains why this is important: ‘When I went to the Gulf of Mexico in the
1950s, the sea was a big blue infinity. I didn’t understand that the sea was in danger from the actions of
people. That was an impossible idea. Then, after thirty years (only thirty, not a thousand!), the blue
paradise disappeared. At the end of the 20th century, there were only about 10 percent of the sharks,
whales and other animals in the Gulf.’

Why is the ocean important to life on Earth? Earle says, ‘The ocean is alive. The living things in the ocean
generate oxygen and take up carbon. Our planet doesn’t work without the ocean.’

There are many problems in the Gulf of Mexico. But Sylvia Earle says, ‘In 2003 I was in clear water in the
Gulf. I was a long way from the mouth of the Mississippi River. The area was full of healthy sea life. We can
protect the ocean and our future.’

Keywords

o carbon (n) a chemical element that is present in all animals and plants and in coal and oil
o Earth (n) the planet on which we live
o generate (v) to produce something
o land (n) an area of ground, rather than the sea or the air
o mouth (n) the mouth of a river is the place where it flows into the sea
o ocean (n) one of the five very large areas of sea on the Earth's surface
o oxygen (n) a colourless gas that exists in large quantities in the air. All plants and animals need
oxygen in order to live.
o planet (n) a large round object in space that moves around a star. The Earth is an example of a
planet.
o sea (n) the salty water that covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface
o shark (n) a very large fish. Some sharks have very sharp teeth and may attack people.
o take up (phr-v) if something takes up air, food or liquid, it uses it in its body. Plants use carbon to
live.
o wave (n) a line of higher water that moves on the surface of the sea which is caused by the wind or
tide making the water rise and fall
o whale (n) a very large animal that looks like a fish and lives in the sea. Whales breathe through a
hole on the top of their heads.