Happy Birthday, Dr. Sylvia Earle!
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Oakland, California
My August 30th birthday wish?
It is the same as the wish “big enough to change the world” that I made when I won the TED Prize in 2009:
I wish you would use all means at your disposal – Films! Expeditions! The web! New submarines! – to ignite public support for a global network of Marine Protected Areas, “Hope Spots,” large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.
At the time, a fraction of one percent of the ocean was fully protected. Now, nearly three percent is deliberately safeguarded from human harm. And, as of today, 145 Hope Spots span the globe with champions, communities, partners, institutions and governments aligning to officially increase protection of Earth’s blue heart.
That is progress, but to reach the widely-embraced goal of true protection of 30 per cent of the land and sea by 2030, it is time to scale up! And why stop there? On his 80th birthday, fellow Ocean Elder, E. O. Wilson cautioned that “We are letting nature slip through our fingers.” There is time, but not a lot, to ensure that Nature does not let us slip through hers.
We in the 21st century are the luckiest humans ever to exist owing to unprecedented knowledge that did not and could not exist until now. Imagine if we did not know the perils of biodiversity loss, of climate disruption, of how much damage we have caused – or if we did not know what to do to heal the harm?
As a new year begins for me, I want to salute you, all of you who make up the growing Mission Blue community of supporters, allies and friends. Each of you and all together are cause for hope that on our watch, we will achieve enduring harmony with nature – and in so doing, the potential for peace among ourselves. Deeply,
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Shop this new collection on adults and kids clothing, mugs, stickers and more! In honor of Dr. Earle’s birthday, we’re excited to launch our new Her Deepness collection! Dr. Earle famously reminds us that We’re All Sea Creatures – in fact, her favorite sea creature is a human being! Thank you to our partner Teemill for supplying our recycled organic cotton goods and for helping us create this new collection to celebrate our founder.
Dr. Earle Speaks to CNN Portugal at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference!
“[The ocean] is not just a kind of supermarket where we take fish!” In this exclusive interview, Dr. Earle discusses her thoughts on topics including deep sea mining and commercial fishing.
Voices from the Ocean features scientists embodying different species of ocean wildlife found in Hope Spots throughout the world, answering questions directly as the species. In this episode out of ten in the series, Dr. Earle gives the Goliath grouper a voice, representing the Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot.
We are deeply thankful for the Gallifrey Foundation who gave life to this creative concept and for their enduring support of our mission to protect the ocean.
The Current State of the Ocean With Rich Roll
Dr. Sylvia Earle was recently welcomed as a guest on the Rich Roll Podcast, where the two shared a rousing discussion about the current state of the ocean. Topics include her perspective on commercial fishing, deep sea mining, and why she believes recovery is possible for a healthier world for all.
Dr. Sylvia Earle Featured on the Chatter That Matters Podcast
In this podcast episode of Chatter that Matters with Tony Chapman, Dr. Earle recounts her life of invention and ocean exploration, including her record-setting open-ocean JIM suit dive, untethered to 1,250 feet and what she encountered on her walk on the ocean floor.
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