Dr Sylvia Alice Earle the newest honourary member of the James Michel Foundation |12 October 2017

Dr Sylvia Alice Earle is the newest honourary member of the James Michel Foundation.

In reply to the invitation of former President James Michel to join his foundation, Dr Earle said she would “be deeply pleased and honoured to do so”.

“I have great affection for your beautiful country, a love affair that began during my first scientific research expedition there aboard the R/V Anton Bruun as part of the 1964 International Indian Ocean Expedition and has amplified over the years. And I have immense admiration and respect for you, your accomplishments and your current goals for making a difference for your country and the world,” Dr Earle added.

In thanking Dr Earle for accepting his invitation, former President Michel said: “Your vast experience in scientific and ocean-related matters as well as your international renown will have a tremendous impact on the James Michel Foundation, as well as all of those of us who love and respect our oceans, and are committed to the blue economy”.

Born on August 30, 1935, Dr Sylvia Earle is an American marine biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998. Dr Earle was the first female chief scientist of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and was named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998.

In 1979, she made an open-ocean dive to the sea floor near Oahu setting a women's depth record of 381 metres. In 1982 she and her husband founded Deep Ocean Engineering to design, operate, support and consult on piloted and robotic subsea systems. In 1985, the Deep Ocean Engineering team designed and built the Deep Rover research submarine, which operates down to 1,000 metres. In 1992, Dr Earle founded Deep Ocean Exploration and Research to further advance marine engineering.

From 1998 to 2002 Dr Earle led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five-year programme sponsored by the National Geographic Society. She founded Mission Blue (also known as the Sylvia Earle Alliance, Deep Search Foundation, and Deep Search), a non-profit foundation for protecting and exploring the Earth's oceans, and 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”.

Dr Earle serves on several boards, and is the recipient of several US and international awards and recognitions.