Marine biologist Sylvia Earle—sometimes known as "Her Deepness" or the "Sturgeon General"—has been an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society since 1998, the year Time magazine named her their first "hero for the planet." Earle has pioneered research on marine ecosystems and has led more than 60 expeditions totaling more than 6,000 hours underwater. She holds numerous diving records, including setting the depth record for solo diving at 3,300 feet (1,000 meters).

On June 15, 2006, President Bush protected marine life and habitat covering 140,000 square miles around ten Northwestern Hawaiian islands and atolls, by designating the archipelago a National Monument, our nation’s 75th. The monument designation is a critical point that catapults this environmental success above what was expected, or what could have been protected had the area been designated a marine sanctuary, since commercial and sport fishing is allowed within certain sanctuaries. At a White House ceremony, President Bush credited Sylvia with illuminating this key point. The archipelago is inhabited by more than 7,000 marine species, 25 percent of which are found nowhere else, including the estimated 1,400 remaining critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals.

Since 1990 Earle has held a variety of important posts, including chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She describes the ocean as the cornerstone of Earth's life-support system, vital for the survival and well-being of humankind. As Earle says, the ocean has no borders and we must all focus our energies on critical conservation.

The Next Ten Years
As Dr. Earle noted in her book Sea Change, our oceans have changed more in the last century than ever in history. We are at a critical juncture. The decisions we make and the actions we take as individuals and as a global community in the next ten years will matter more than what we do in the next one hundred. Join Dr. Earle as she issues the ultimate wake-up call in an effort to impassion us to care and more importantly, to act.

Exploring the Deep Frontier
In this engaging presentation, Dr. Earle takes us through the history of underwater exploration from her experience leading the first team of female Aquanauts in 1970 to her company's development of ROVs for research and exploration and Bow Cams that can be mounted on pleasure yachts for recreational viewing of swimming dolphins and other underwater marine life and habitat.

Sustainable Seas: Recognizing Finite Resources
Factory fishing and blatant disregard for maritime laws has had a major, and in some cases, irreversible impact on entire species and on our ecosystem. Join Dr. Earle for a survey of the damage and a hard look at some ongoing programs, along with an introduction to a few forward-looking governments, corporations and individuals who are doing more than their fair share to launch sustainable fishing programs and to protect critical marine sanctuaries in an effort to preserve what remains.