Sylvia Earle, pictured resurfacing after a research dive. In 1970, the Mission Blue founder led an all-female team of aquanauts aboard the Tektite II, a research station 15 m underwater in the Virgin Islands. Supported by the US Navy and Nasa, the team of five spent two weeks living and working under the sea, and as many as 12 hours a day out on research dives. — David Doubilet
Six decades after her stratospheric career began, renowned oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle remains one of the most powerful voices in her field.
Rolex is honoured to celebrate Earle and to support her incredible work and accomplishments in the field of ocean conservation.
A Rolex Testimonee since 1982, she has spent thousands of hours under water, has 250 publications to her name, has led more than 100 ocean expeditions and launched a pioneering initiative dedicated to promoting marine conservation.
Currently, just 8% of the world’s seas are protected, but over 100 countries have committed to protecting at least 30% by 2030 – making Earle’s work more important now than ever.
An illustrious career
The roots of Earle’s lifelong passion for the ocean can be traced back to her childhood in New Jersey, where she would spend hours at the pond in her backyard, observing the fish and tadpoles. Armed with a PhD from Duke University, her groundbreaking work began with extensive research on marine algae.
It was a two-week underwater mission in 1970, where she led a team of aquanauts, that set the stage for international acclaim.
Living and working 50 ft (15.24 m) below the surface in the US Virgin Islands aboard Tektite II, Earle and her team observed ocean life and the effects of living underwater on the human body.
Upon returning to shore, Earle and her team were honoured at the White House – fuelling the oceanographer to use this spotlight to highlight the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems worldwide.
Over the course of her career, Earle has discovered numerous new marine species and continued to advocate for ocean exploration and care, receiving over 100 national and international honours and awards.
These include Time Magazine’s first Hero for the Planet, the National Geographic Hubbard Medal and medals from the Explorers Club and Royal Geographical Society.
Sylvia Earle, Rolex Testimonee (right) and Salome Buglass (left), marine scientist at the Charles Darwin Foundation, descending in the DeepSea submersible in search of deep sea kelp that may be new to science, during the Mission Blue Galapagos expedition in 2022. — Rolex/Franck Gazzola.
She was also the first female chief scientist of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and she set a world record in 1979 for the deepest solo untethered dive, walking 381 m beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
More than 40 years later, that record remains unbroken.
In 2009 she launched the Mission Blue initiative after winning a TED prize for her “vision to spark global change”.
Her aim was to create a global network of Hope Spots, which are ecologically important areas of the ocean considered vital to ocean health.
At the programme’s heart is the empowerment of local people to make change.
More than a decade on from its launch and with support from Rolex since 2014, the number of Hope Spots has increased from 50 to more than 160 and includes biodiverse regions such as the Azores Archipelago and the Galapagos Islands.
The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative also supports Mission Blue’s Champions: individuals and organisations who lead local efforts in their respective Hope Spots.
“Whether we are explorers or concerned citizens, we must save the planet for future generations,” says Earle.
Using her voice to draw attention to the critical need to protect our vital marine ecosystems, she continues to be a source of inspiration to people worldwide with her incredible achievements.
Rolex Testimonee and Mission Blue Founder Sylvia Earle, pictured at the Deep Ocean Exploration and Research Centre in California. With the support of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, Mission Blue highlights the importance of protecting marine ecosystems around the world called Hope Spots. — Rolex/Carles Carabi
With 34 honorary degrees to her name and having lectured in over 80 countries, Earle has also held many prestigious positions during her esteemed career, including National Geographic Explorer At Large.
In 2022, Rolex celebrated her 40 years as a brand Testimonee, a true visionary in her field as she enters her ninth decade.
“All of us, individually and collectively, need to respect nature and take care of it,” says Earle. “We need to treat the ocean and the rest of our living planet like our lives depend on them – because they do.”
Perpetual Planet Initiative
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognising journeys marked by milestones and emotions that culminate in defining moments.
Launched in 2019 with a current portfolio of more than 30 partners active in three main focus areas: Oceans; Landscapes; and Science, Health and Technology, Rolex stands alongside those building a better future for all life on earth through this initiative.
For the Oceans, Rolex supports a wide range of projects such as: Mission Blue and Rolex Testimonee Sylvia Earle; Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen; and Coral Gardeners.
The Landscapes roster includes: a strengthened partnership with the National Geographic Society; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organisations of Tompkins Conservation; and Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions.
Rolex also supports partners in Science, Health and Technology, such as: Rolex Awards Laureates Andrew Bastawrous; Felix Brooks-church; and Miranda Wang.
Rolex also supports organisations and initiatives fostering the next generation of explorers, scientists and conservationists, such as the Royal Geographical Society, The Explorers Club, the CERN & Society Foundation and the EPFL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Lausanne.
