Marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, and author Sylvia Earle, has been teaching people about our oceans for decades. The first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sylvia also holds the record for deepest walk on the sea floor, which she set back in 1979.

In the course of her lifetime, attitudes towards the ocean, nature, and biodiversity have shifted dramatically. On one hand, appreciation for the benefits of nature from both a sociological and scientific perspective are better understood and advocated for; we know that we have to take care of nature in order to survive. On the other hand, our magnitude of new scientific insight and discoveries has laid bare the reality of the decline in the health of our oceans.

What every citizen needs to know about the ocean is: without the ocean, we wouldn't be here. Sylvia speaks about the privilege of being a 21st century human being with the wealth of information and insight at our disposal. With this immense privilege comes the opportunity and responsibility to secure a safe future for humans within the natural systems that make our existence possible.