Record-Setting Ocean Explorer to Speak at Smith

Renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and record-breaking deep sea diver Sylvia A. Earle will give a lecture, video and slide presentation about her many years of ocean exploration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, in Smith College's Wright Hall auditorium.

The lecture is free, open to the public, and wheelchair-accessible.

Earle, who has logged more than 6,000 hours undersea and holds the record for deepest solo dive-1,000 meters-is the founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER), a consulting and marine engineering firm. Sometimes referred to as "Her Deepness" for obvious reasons, Earle is the author of more than 100 publications pertaining to marine science and technology including her 1995 book, "Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans."

Educated at Florida State and Duke universities, Earle has served as research associate at the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard and was a Radcliffe Institute scholar. From 1980-84 she served on President Ronald Reagan's Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere and was the National Geographic Society's 1998 Explorer in Residence. Earle, who was recently listed as one of Time magazine's "Heroes for the Planet," has been profiled in Life, The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine and has appeared on television's 20/20, the Charlie Rose Show and CBS Sunday Morning.