As the “Jane Goodall of the ocean,” Sylvia Earle, PhD, has led a busy 90 years pioneering the fields of oceanography and global conservation—and she’s not slowing down.
Born in New Jersey, Earle moved to Dunedin, Florida, with her family at age 13 and fell in love with the Gulf, salt marshes, and seagrass beds near her waterfront home and the variety of species contained within. After studying marine botany at Florida State University and learning to scuba dive in 1953 on one of the earliest units, Earle embarked on a career as a marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic Explorer at Large since 1998, with The New Yorker naming her “Her Deepness” and the Library of Congress deeming her a “Living Legend.” Her nonprofit, Mission Blue, has established Hope Spots, special places that are important to the health of the ocean, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Florida Keys and Ten Thousand Islands, and coastal southeast Florida.
Earle’s ocean advocacy mission aligns swimmingly with that of Future Wavemakers, a West Palm Beach organization helmed by Gabrielle Raymond McGee that aims to inspire and empower youth to become ocean advocates. McGee is such a believer in Earle’s work that she made her the subject of her children’s book, Wave Makers.
Both Earle and McGee seek to encourage youth to think critically about issues like marine pollution, climate change, and ecosystem preservation. “This is the moment of choice,” says Earle. “I like to tell kids [they] are the luckiest kids ever to exist because of what we know, and also the chance to put that knowledge into practice in safeguarding our future, your future, the future of everything we care about.”
For that, she has hope—after all, she’s seen the resurgence of whales and sea turtles in her lifetime. “I think what excites me most is seeing that protection works,” she shares.
This month, Earle will visit Palm Beach County for a series of Future Wavemakers events, including the second annual Wavemakers Party April 24 at The Colony Hotel and the Wavemakers Conservation Symposium at Manatee Lagoon April 25. The organization will also host the Shark Tank–style Future Wavemakers Competition Pitch (former Apple CEO John Sculley is one of the judges) and Wavemakers Kids Summit April 26.
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