Sylvia Earle - Term Paper Example

Sylvia Earle Sylvia Earle is an American oceanographer, popularized by the “Her Deepness” coined by the New Yorker and the New York times. She is also an explorer, lecturer, and author who is an experienced ‘field research scientist’. Apart from being the founder of the Mission Blue Foundation, she is also in the Advisory Council for the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. Her contribution as an oceanographer is immense and through her work she was present at the “frontier of deep ocean exploration” for a considerable period of time. She is certainly the role model for several because of her sheer hard work and dedication (Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer). Career choice has never been an easy thing for people. The decision pertaining to this has often been taken when one reaches college. However this was not the case for Sylvia Earle. Her call to the sea came at an early age of three when she was “knocked over” by a wave. Fear never engulfed her, instead gaining her foot she was ready to face more. This fearlessness in her was evident in her career also. Using scuba diving as an essential component of research program and identification of new marine species was first done by her. Her main expertise is the study of algae, yet she was equally “comfortable swimming with 40 ton whales” (Cullen, 121-122). Early Life Born on August 30, 1935, in Gibbstown, New Jersey, Earle had spent her childhood on a farm near Camden. The love for nature was instilled in her by her mother Alice, who was a nurse by profession. Her love for the ocean began when she was knocked over by the wave at the age of three. “I found it exhilarating rather than frightening,” she said. “I found my feet and plunged back in.” (Yount, 71). She has in fact shared her very first experience with the ocean in her book Sea Change, “… a monstrous wall of green water races my way, hissing, towering, inescapable, sweeping me into a cascading aquatic mayhem. I am lifted, tumbled, churned, pushed, and fall, gasping, clawing for air. My toes touch sand; a sweet breeze soothes my lungs. I stand choking, face the next advancing wall, and leap into it, exhilarated!” in 1938 when Sylvia was three years old the family had moved to Paulsboro. This new farm house was not very comfortable but to Sylvia it was the perfect place where she could explore. Apart from the apple orchards and grapevines, she had even traveled around a pond and a stream. Her zeal for science was eminent at an early age especially when she investigated the family’s pond with patience. At that tender age she had no clue about the existence of the terminology “research.” Yet by keeping a note of all her observations in the pond was in fact the first step towards research. She used to fill her notebook with the behavior and eating pattern of the animals. Her investigation went beyond taking notes. She even collected specimens of plants and animals that were found around the pond (White, 11-13). The decision to move to Florida by Sylvia’s father was another turning point for her. Initially she never wanted to go and this was evident when she had said in her interviews that: “I didn’t want to move at all,” Sylvia had recalled. “The woods, the pond, and fields were part of what I regarded as me.” The bright, blue, and calm ocean of Florida thrilled her very much and according to Sylvia’s mother “that’s when she lost her heart to the water.” She was deeply inspired by her favorite author William Beebe who in his book Half Mile Down had described the wonderful world beneath the sea. Sylvia had always craved to see the creatures described by Beebe (Baker, 13-16). Education and interests in early career Sylvia was an excellent student and she has given the credit for her educational pursuits to her aunt, Helen Richie. Her aunt has in fact been the inspirational force for her (Haley-Oliphant, 141). Sylvia Earle had entered St. Petersburg Junior College to earn an associate’s degree. After that when she had transferred to Florida State University she had proved through hard work and passion her devotion towards marine science. In 1955 she had achieved her Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University. After the completion of her graduation she enrolled at the University of Duke in North Carolina in order to do her master’s and doctorate. This decision was motivated by the fact that her mentor Dr. Humm had decided to teach at that place. She had decided by that time that she will take up botany. She wanted to become a scientist and had already taken the decision to study about “algae” at the Duke. She wanted to study about them and also wanted to focus on their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem. The choice of this plant seemed unusual for many but for Sylvia they are more than just “stinky weed.” She knew how all forms of life depended on this “single celled miracle plant.” Over the next few years she had devoted her time in the study of algae and collection of the samples had contributed a lot to the study of marine science. Marriage and motherhood never compelled her to lose her focus. She continued with her research work and the most fascinating part of the whole thing was that she had achieved all this in a field which was male dominated. In 1962 Earle had got a very exciting opportunity. A significant voyage which was funded by the National Science Foundation required another scientist for the research ship, Anton Brunn. Earle’s name was suggested by Dr Humm who was involved in the project. The six week trip included traveling and completing the research work on world’s largest water bodies. This rare opportunity required Earle to travel with a crew of all male members who were not happy with her presence. However she was determined to give her best and prove her critics wrong (Reichard, 24-28). Sylvia had earned her Ph.D. from the Duke in 1967. Discovery Discovering the unexplored always excites an explorer and Sylvia Earle was no different. She had got this opportunity along with other scientists in 1965 when she had boarded the Anton Brunn again. This time it had sailed toward Mas a Tierra, it’s a clump of islands in west of Chile. It was in this expedition that while diving she had come across a “mass of thick pink algae” upon rocks. As she had never seen anything like this before she took a specimen of it only to find that it’s a new discovery by her. Sylvia was both excited and humble about her new discovery. Whenever a discovery is made it has to be named and this process is called nomenclature. Sylvia was very particular in naming the new found algae. Being a humble person by nature she had always acknowledged the fact that in a male dominated profession she was given immense support by Dr. Harold Humm. She had paid her tribute and gratitude by naming the new plant “Hummbrella Hydra” (White, 47-49). Exploration in the Bahamas Opportunity to explore once again came to Sylvia. In 1968 she was asked to be a part of an exploration in the sea in the Bahamas. In this case all the time she would be in the submarine called the Sea Diver and this meant that all of her dives would begin from the sea. However the most challenging thing in this entire mission was the fact that she was five months pregnant. As a result before giving a final nod she had to consult the doctor. When she came out from the chamber into the ocean floor she had immediately felt the same emotions. While walking along the ocean floor she had explored the scenery and she was also elated about the fact that she had reached greater depths of the ocean (White, 52-54). Tektite II Earle in the next two years had gathered more experience as she had made four research trips aboard the Anton Brunn. However the prejudice of the men against accepting a woman as their leader proved to be detrimental for her to be the leader. She had said: “I decided I could either fret and get angry and bluster my way in. or I could relax and enjoy the circumstances. I chose to not waste energy, but to do the best job I could.” To study life in the sea the U.S. government had initiated a series of experiments. Tektite I was the first of its kind which involved four scientists who had to spend two months on the ocean floor in a special laboratory made for this purpose. This project was done not only to explore the marine life but also it was expected to be used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for research in space. A bulletin in Harvard had asked the submission of ideas for research in underwater and it was from this source that Sylvia had heard about Tektite II. Among the applications of several qualified women, Sylvia was selected because of her vast and enriching experiences. In fact she was asked to lead an all female team in this project. Tektite II was built 50 feet below the sea and it was quite cozy inside. In 1970 it was there off the shore of the U.S. Virgin Islands for seven months. Mission 6 was the name given to the women’s team and it was one of the other among the ten Tektite II missions. The main work of Sylvia was to study the various plant species growing in the reef. Her main aim was to see how the fishes living and eating nearby were affecting the algae in the reef. The constant monitoring by the NASA had initially bothered her but soon the excitement regarding her work overtook her. She was taught by her parents to love and respect the nature. Even when she was on this project she was conscious enough so that the Tektite team does not affect or change the life of the plants and animals on the reef. During the expedition the women used to head out into the ocean floor in the early hours of the dawn and explore it. The notion of familiarizing with an individual fish and observing its behavior were the things which she loved about living underwater. It’s a world of its own (Baker, 34-48). The Success The research went very well for Sylvia. Among marine plants she had observed 154 different species and she had even discovered 26 species which were never known to that area. The day and night behaviors of different plant eating fishes was observed by her. The crew members after their return were complimented by the media and also many other people (Baker, 50-55). The crew members were praised by the media and they were called “aquababes.” Apart from that they were personally congratulated by the President and they were also subjected to “a ticker- tape parade” (Baldwin, 131). For Sylvia it was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Sylvia was very well known by then and it seemed that she would drown in this “media wave.” She was asked to give speeches in schools, companies and clubs. Renowned reporters like Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs were keen to interview her. However Sylvia was aware of the fact that her popularity was not just because she was a “good scientist” but being a “girl” explorer in a male dominated profession drew the attention. Keeping aside the main reason for this attention behind one can say that this attention certainly gave her the opportunity to reach the millions and spread her message. She was slowly moving to the role of a public champion. She had later said, “I’m changed forever because I lived underwater for two weeks in 1970. I wish that everybody could go live underwater if only for a day.” She had always firmly believed that instead of reading if people would have seen the underwater life themselves then they would have valued it (Baker, 50-55). Diving Deep One of the most “daring dives” which was made by Earle was on September 19, 1979. In fact she was the first person to take such a deep dive without any tether. Tethers are lines which are connected to the ships. She had dived 1250 feet under the surface into the Pacific Ocean six miles of the shore of Hawaii. The pressure at that depth was enough to crush Earle but her safety was ensured because she had worn “a special suit” for this purpose. That suit was called “Jim suit” after the name of the deep of the explorer of the deep sea Jim Jarratt. The dive of Earle had lasted for two and a half hours (McLoone, 28). When she dived there was no stars overhead, instead there she was engulfed by darkness. The darkness was mitigated by the presence of light from the submarine that was accompanying her. It was here that she had seen “an 18- inch- long shark with glowing green eyes swimming gracefully past only a feet away,” in order to watch a “lantern fish gliding by with lights on its sides, looking much like a miniature passenger liner.” She had spent the time underwater to collect necessary notes, specimens, and to plant the U.S. flag for the “edification of passerby” (Baldwin, 131). Humpback Whales Sylvia Earle’s encounter with the humpback whales was a very memorable experience for her. Much information about dead whales is circulated but little is known about living whales. However the contribution of two scientists namely, Roger and Katy Payne has provided us with immense information about them. Sylvia after meeting Roger had decided to embark on a research project on whales. The unique thing about this research would be the film that will be made on it along with Al Giddings, a renowned underwater photographer. A research project on whales by swimming along with these whales was something that was not attempted by many. This fact was highlighted by them when they had gone to different places like scientific organizations and conservation groups to raise the necessary funds. They had even successfully convinced many organizations for the financial aid. The project had begun in February 1977 in Hawaii and the humpback whales were expected to travel in winter. The whales are deadly enough to kill a human being with “a single stroke of a tail” but that did not prevent Earle from swimming with them. The moment she had slid into the water a big whale was moving towards her and a crash seemed eminent but the whale had “gracefully slid past her.” The whale had in fact tilted its head to see the visitor. This experience had completely thrilled her and she had once again found a new friend underwater who shares the same “curiosity and joy” like her. The whale was in fact heading towards Giddings and here too it had simply “swam over” Al’s head. After this incident Sylvia had written in National Geographic: “I stopped worrying then and have never worried since in all my encounters with humpbacks” (Baker, 57-60). Achievements Sylvia Earle had spent a considerable time of her life diving in various parts of the world because the “interrelationship” of marine plants and animals and with ocean pollution was something that was always her concern. Her places for exploration ranged from the Gulf of Mexico to the Indian Ocean and even the Pacific. In order to create awareness among the public regarding the importance of sea exploration she there was an expedition headed by her to the Galapagos Islands in 1972 (Duncan, 226). Deep Ocean Engineering was founded by Earle in 1979 along with her third husband Graham Hawkes. Together they had invented the Deep Rover and the Deep Flight. These inventions were of great help to the divers because these undersea crafts made exploration of the ocean depth of more than 3000 feet easy. The Deep Rover was used by Earle in 1985 to make another dive which was in fact record breaking. Along with three other men she had dived into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego and had reached the depth of about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). She was the member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Oceans from 1980 to 1984 and was appointed as a chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where she had served till 1992. She had resigned from NOAA due to her discomfort regarding the environmental policies of George Bush, the then President of the United States. After the resignation she was however free to indulge in a variety of “academic projects” along with natural history museums and marine laboratories. In the meantime she had got a number of awards and a marine plant and a sea urchin was named after her (Baldwin, 132). She was the explorer “in residence” of the National Geographic Society and she was also the president of the Explorers Club (Duncan, 226). Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER) was another company which was founded by Earle in 1992. The company is located in Oakland, California and it basically teaches the people “how to use undersea craft.” Apart from that the repairing of the crafts is also done by the company. Earle had been a member of the board for many environmental groups. She had been a prominent figure in the studies related to the effects of the Exxon Valdes oil spill in Prince William Sound in 1989 (Baldwin, 131-132). Earle had always made it a point to spread her knowledge about the oceans to others. She has been the leader and had guided more than fifty diving expeditions. She has also written books about the ocean. Hello, Fish and Dive: My Adventures undersea are the books that she had written for children (McLoone, 29- 30). A study for five years on national marine sanctuaries was done by Earle. The Sustainable Seas Expedition was given to her by the National Geographic. In order to draw the attention of the people to the national marine underwater park system, she had created a number of documentaries (Duncan, 226). Her endeavor to spread the knowledge about oceans has never been hidden. In fact she had once said: “Many of us ask what I, as one person, can do, but history shows us that everything good and bad starts because somebody does something or does not do something.” True to her words Earle had actually turned her “childhood love of the outdoors” into a discovery with true spirit which continues to benefit mankind even today (Kaya & Cousteau, 91). “A Mission to Preserve”- Then and Now The main aim of NOAA is to give a description and along with that to predict the changes in the environment of the earth. It also performs the function of conservation and management of the coastal and marine resources of the nation. Earle being an ardent follower of all this and a person who was always concerned about marine life was appointed as the chief scientist in 1990. Under the designation of a chief scientist she was sent to investigate a deliberate oil spill of 500 million gallons into the Persian Gulf. Her main task was to find the length of time required for the marine plants and animals to recover from the devastation. For miles one could only see the oily and brown waters as the landscape was completely blackened. She had once again propagated the need of ocean conservation especially when she had seen the marine organisms covered in “black slime.” Her endeavor to preserve the environment was once again evident when she had gone to investigate the oil spills in Alaska. In one of her expeditions with Japanese scientists in 1991 she had descended in a “three- man submersible named Shinkai 6500” to a depth of 13,000 feet. She was asked by the Japanese government in 1993 to give her expert opinion in order to build a remote, “then manned”, that can dive to the depth of 36,000 feet. She had voiced her concern for the oceans through a writings. In 1995 she had published the book Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans. The book contained plethora of information about the exquisite world that exists underwater. While explaining the magnificence of the underwater she had also pointed out her worries about the future of the oceans “in the hands of uninformed humans.” Earle’s participation in the Sustainable Seas Expeditions as a project director enabled her to study the underwater national parks which in turn will enable marine scientists to detect changes in the ecosystem and then prescribe policies accordingly for the preservation of the health of the 12 U.S. marine sanctuaries. Wild Ocean (1999) and Atlas of the Ocean (2001) was published by her during this time (Cullen, 130-132). Current Events In 2009 Earle had published the book called The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Oceans Are One. In 2008 she had even authored Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas which was a National Geographic book. It contained maps, images and information regarding ocean’s nature and the current changes that are affecting the earth. She received awards both at the national and international level. She had even got the most desired TED prize in 2009 (Sylvia Earle, n.d). She had received lifetime achievement award from the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire in 2009. A role Model The journey of Sylvia Earle had been a remarkable one. She was born in a period where woman were raised to be a good housewife and a good mother. Amidst this she embarked on a journey where apart from the above role she also played the role of a scientist. She had not only contributed a lot in this field but she has also made her presence firm in this profession which was considered to be male dominated. It’s the urge and determination in her that had given her the present position. If future scientists also follow her footsteps then they too can shed light to several unexplained phenomena (Haley-Oliphant, 143). She was named as the first “hero of the planet” by Time magazine. She has authored several publications on marine life and this had given her the appropriate right to “speak on behalf of the oceans” and to spread the knowledge about marine life. Careless attitude of the people has always proved to be harmful for marine life and hence she had always harped on the point of knowledge about it. She believed that the knowledge would make the people more sensitive towards it (Cullen, 132). References 1. Baker, Beth. Sylvia Earle, Minnesota: Lerner Publications, 2006. 2. Baldwin, Louis. Women of strength: biographies of 106 who have excelled in traditionally male fields, AD 61 to the present, California: McFarland, 1996 3. Cullen E, Katherine. Marine science: the people behind the science, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2006. 4. Duncan, Joyce. Ahead of their time: a biographical dictionary of risk taking women, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. 5. Haley-Oliphant, Ann E, Sylvia Earle, APS, 1997, from : http://www.the-aps.org/education/k12curric/pdf/earle.pdf 6. Kaye, Cathryn Berger & Cousteau, Philippe. Going Blue: A Team Guide to Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands, Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, 2010. 7. McLoone, Margo. Women Explorers of the oceans: Ann Darison, Eugenie Clark, Sylvia Earle, Naomi James and Tania Aebi, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 1999. 8. Reichard, Susan E. Who on Earth Is Sylvia Earle? Undersea Explorer of the Ocean, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 2009. 9. “Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer”, NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC, n.d, from : http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/sylvia-earle/ 10. “Sylvia Earle” NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC, n.d, from: http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/speakers-bureau/speaker/sylvia-earle/ 11. Yount, Lisa. A to Z of biologists, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2003. 12. White, Katherine. Sylvia Earle: Deep Sea Explorer and Ocean Activist, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. 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