Sylvia Earle

She is a phenomenal woman, and we share a deep respect and love for our oceans. This video, recorded in 2009, is even more timely today than it was then. With the tragedy that is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, and more devastation to come - - many lessons to be learned. Dr. Earle is coming to our campus at Texas A&M University as she is chair of the advisory board for the Harte Research Institute that is associated with my university. She will be part of a panel discussion regarding the oil spill in the Gulf as we have several oil spill experts in the institute. I plan to be there, but am not expecting the news to be good.


Sylvia Alice Earle (born August 30, 1935 in Gibbstown, New Jersey) is an American oceanographer. She was chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1990-1992. She is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, sometimes called "Her Deepness" or "The Sturgeon General".[1]
Earle received a B.S. degree from Florida State University (1955), M.S. (1956) and PhD. from Duke University (1966). She was Curator of Phycology at the California Academy of Sciences (1979-1986) and a Research Associate at the University of California, Berkeley (1969-1981), Radcliffe Institute Scholar (1967-1969) and Research Fellow or Associate at Harvard University (1967-1981). She led the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970. In 1979, she made an open-ocean JIM suit dive, setting a women's depth record of 1250 feet (381m); she also holds the women's record for a solo dive in a deep submersible(3280 feet, 1000m). From 1980 to 1984 she served on NACOA (the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere).In 1985 she founded Deep Ocean Engineering along with her husband, engineer and submersible designer Graham Hawkes, to design, operate, support, and consult on piloted and robotic sub sea systems. In 1987 The Deep Ocean Engineering team designed and built the Deep Rover research submarine, which operates down to 1000 meters. She left the company in 1990 to accept an appointment as the Chief Scientist for NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration).
In 1992 she founded Deep Ocean Exploration and Research to further advance marine engineering. Today, Earle serves as Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society and the company known as DOER Marine is run by her daughter. The company continues to design, build and operate innovative equipment for the deep ocean and other challenging environments.
Earle has led more than 400 expeditions worldwide involving in excess of 7000 hours underwater in connection with her research.[2] From 1998 to 2002 she led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five year program to study the United States National Marine Sanctuary sponsored by the National Geographic Society and funded by the Goldman Foundation. An expert on the impact of oil spills, she was called upon to lead several research trips during the Gulf War and following the spills of the ships, Exxon Valdez and Mega Borg.

Mother's Day Weekend 2010

--- was awesome! On Saturday, Audrey spend the day with me while her Mommy and friends went to Fiesta Texas for a heavy duty day of roller coaster riding. We did the beach, McDonald's, shopped at the Mall, and had many conversations and sing-a-longs with pop songs on the radio. On Mother's Day, I was blessed to have Annie, Audrey, Annie's beau John AND SCOTT from West Virginia for a major day of cooking, eating, presents, and hugs. Jen could not join us - end of semester exams in law school. However, it was a FABULOUS weekend! We missed you Jen -- keep studying for your final exams!!

And now, I get to grade final exams....till next time!

DENVER and the American Educational Research Association Conference!

Over five thousand educational researchers gathered for several days of concurrent meetings and conference sessions in Denver, Colorado for AERA. My colleague, Dr. Olga Ramirez from University of Texas - Pan American and I presented a conference poster related to our work with family science (me) and family math (Olga) learning events. The information was well received! Many questions and I know this work will be replicated in other universities! And, we attended one REALLY great session that I think will have us take our work to the next level -- the creation of agents of change in our classrooms. Teachers that will be well prepared to teach math and science with culturally diverse and linguistically diverse classrooms. The weather was beautiful - but COLD for two girls who like balmy south Texas!


The outside of the Denver Conference Center - I love this bear looking in! Colorado is proud of their (once prolific) bear, bison and wolf populations.



The bear looking in...love the originality of this sculpture.



Since you can't have live Bison roaming downtown Denver, this is the next best thing.


While walking through downtown, we came across a protest group --- accompanied by police escorts, and very 'well behaved'. Olga and I agreed that this was an important part of living in America - having the right to protest. In this case, the participants were trying to raise interest for legalization of marijuana. I was reminded that 40 years ago to the day, a group of Ohio National Guard fired 67 live rounds into a group of protesting unarmed Kent State undergraduates. These guys had parade permits...times have changed for the better.



My colleague and friend Olga with a fake cow.


Same fake cow, and yes it was cold!


Downtown Denver was super impressive! Much to see and do, friendly people, and great food!




Olga discussing our research with an interested party. We got some awesome feedback!



I found this message written on my office door when I returned this morning. My students are the BEST and seem to know that great things are undoubtedly on the horizon for ALL of us!!

PUBLISHED!

Most know that Sept 1st marks the day that my Promotion and Tenure portfolio is due. A two inch notebook which contains documentation of all accomplishments since coming here to Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi 4.5 years ago. The notebook begins with a review by faculty at the departmental level, passes to the Dean of College and if it passes muster, goes to the Provost of College and then all the way through the A&M system - hopefully getting a thumbs-up all along the way, including external reviewers who are selected blindly (i.e, not known to me). The process takes about a year. And it's high stakes - if I get P&T, I stay for as long as I like (remaining productive of course). If I don't? I have one year to find another job. I'm in pretty good shape - great teaching evaluations, mucho service to the university and community, many grants funded, but publications have been elusive since I spend so much time teaching - when compared to my colleagues who research and teach one class a semester, as a science educator I typically teach 5-6 classes per semester. So, this semester an adjunct instructor has taken over one section of classes. And, I was freed up from some ancillary work (i.e, committees). I've been writing like a wild woman since January. Five, yes FIVE manuscripts submitted to five different journals. Three more in prep. This week, I found out that not one but TWO were accepted!!! TWO!!!!! The other three are still being reviewed. Oh yes, I was doing a happy dance!! I'm on my way...here is the first that was accepted. Fingers crossed, and feeling a bit more confident!!

Happy Fourth Birthday!

Four years ago, a new light entered the world. Audrey Anne became the light of my life. A day full of celebrations including friends at Andy's Kitchen, where Audrey has eaten breakfast almost every Saturday (and other days!) since she was 6 months old, her friends at pre-school and of course celebration with me. I love you Audrey Anne - and cannot believe you are FOUR!



















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Screech Owls Resurface in Mac-dom

"I spent four years researching a population of eastern screech owls in suburban Temple Texas." That is the line that begins literally dozens of talks I have given on this project that culminated in a master's thesis, but contained so many life lessons and academic ones that I continue to use every day. I loved these critters. They nested in one of 20 owl boxes that I had set up with my academic mentor - Dr. Fred Gehlbach. I dutifully checked all the boxes every five days for the 3 month nesting season over a four year period. I took my 7th graders and eventually my college students out to the field site to see how we 'do' biology - and it isn't with pocket protectors and beakers! I saw starlings mating in the box, hundreds of wildflowers, snakes, hawks who ate my nestlings, cranes migrating, honeybees that took over a box, other owls, thousands of birds -- I loved being in the field. This fall, there is an interested consortium that wants to fund a screech owl study here in Corpus Christi. This will be post tenure review and I will have some time once again! Yes, I want to do another owl study. And take school children and college students out in the field. The Welder Wildlife Refuge is within driving distance and they want this as much as I do. The owls are calling.

I am submitting an online journal article regarding this study to Nature. Fingers are crossed. The editor contacted me with this interest and I need these publications. What is really important to me is that the owls have taught me so many lessons - now more people can read about that. They are good, positive lessons concerning their cohabitation with humans in sharing and protecting our environment.

Here are some photos for your enjoyment. It's been a blast going back through the data and remembering my feathered friends!!!

Grey phase roosting (resting) pose during the daytime

Screech owl peeking out of the nest box (they normally live in tree cavities but have no preference between nest boxes or natural cavities)

The female incubates eggs for approx 28 days, and is totally dependent on her monogomous mate to bring her food. She also stays in the box when the nestlings are first born until they are large enough to stay warm on their own.


red phase female flying from the nest box - their wing span is impressive and they don't make a sound when they fly


banding the nestlings - we band the female and all nestlings so we can ID the owls:

red phase female feeding an older nestling


Here are six siblings - posed for the shot. They will leave the nest, hanging out with parents for a couple of months and learning to fly and capture food. Then, they disperse to new territory. You can hear them calling pre-dawn and at dusk during spring and summer.


I hope to be adding some current shots from Corpus Christi research that is planned in future. Stay tuned!!!!

Reading Books and Planting Flowers

Sunday was awesome - sun was out, nice and warm and I decided it was time to pot some plants for spring. Right when I was walking to my apartment, arms full of plants, I got a text message from Annie that Audrey wanted to come visit -- so I invited her to come over and help. Audrey arrived with her book. I suggested she read to me while I plant the flowers.

She got all cross legged and began to read "If You Take A Mouse To School". I'm not sure what a mouse would want to do at a school, but she said it was her favorite book so I figured I'd find out.

A few pots later, she had read the book at least four times. Let me tell you, mice really do have a fine time at school.



Finally, she helped level the soil, pat down the plants and water them. She told her Mommy they would be all grown by "next week".



We both learned a lot on Sunday - Audrey learned how to plant flowers and I learned about what mice do at school. It was pretty perfect for a Sunday.