A reflection on Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue
Dr. Sylvia Earle via Getty Images
Dr. Sylvia Earle graduated from Florida State University at age 19, where she studied Botany and then went on to earn her master’s and PhD from Duke University. Dr. Earle has spent decades studying the ocean and has logged over 7,000 diving hours. Some of Dr. Earle’s most notable work is the discovery of 26 species of marine life in the Virgin Islands on the TekTite II mission, leading other female scientists on their two-week mission. Dr. Earle also set a deep sea diving record of 1,250 feet in a diving suit and was the first female Chief scientist at NOAA.
Dr. Earle is the founder of Mission Blue, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect the ocean. One of Mission Blue’s main goals is to create “Hope Spots,” which make threatened marine protected areas to restore the ecosystem’s health and maintain biodiversity. Dr. Earle’s goal is to protect our ocean, as she believes that the fate of our future relies on the ocean’s health.
The documentary Mission Blue is inspiring and has many powerful messages about our connection to the ocean and the impact of human activity on marine life. Particularly reflecting on overfishing, Mission Blue does a wonderful job of alerting the audience of the dangers of overfishing and the way it disrupts entire food webs, ultimately threatening biodiversity. The film makes it clear that without intervention, entire ecosystems could collapse, putting both marine life and human life at risk.
Mission Blue also highlights the danger of oil rigs. Dr. Earle began her work in the 1950s with oceanography, and Mission Blue highlights the stark differences in how the vast blue ocean looks today in comparison to when Dr. Earle was a child. Dr. Earle has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, from just one when she was a child to nearly 2,000 today, with 150 active. The documentary warns of the dangers of oil rigs, particularly the risk of oil spills, which poison marine life and destroy ecosystems. Highlighting these changes over time reinforces one of the documentary's overall messages, which is, the action that needs to be taken to protect our ocean and the future of life on earth.
Beyond its environmental message, Mission Blue also highlights Dr. Earle’s resilience in a male-dominated field. Despite the challenges, she has become one of the most influential figures in oceanography. Dr. Earle’s determination is not just inspiring but is motivating to me.
Short film made by me about Dr. Sylvia Earle 