The legendary oceanographer talks about why she crisscrosses the globe to protect marine life

Pioneering oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s lifelong affinity for the ocean began early. “When I was three years old I got knocked over by a wave, and the ocean got my attention,” she told me at DOER Marine, the ocean technology company in Alameda, California, that she founded.

It’s held her attention ever since. A former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and current National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence, Earle has led dozens of deep-sea missions and spent more than 7,000 hours underwater. Her nonprofit Mission Blue organization leads an alliance seeking to vastly expand the number of ocean preserves to protect marine life from overfishing, pollution, and development.