The Aspen Institute

Dr. Sylvia Earle is Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society. Recently, she led the Google Ocean Advisory Council, a team of 30 marine scientists providing content and scientific oversight for the “Ocean in Google Earth.” To date, she has led over 70 expeditions, logging more than 6500 hours underwater.

Among the more than 100 national and international honors she has received is the 2009 TED Prize for her proposal to establish a global network of marine protected areas. She calls these marine preserves “hope spots… to save and restore… the blue heart of the planet.”