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Sanctuary Summits - Gray's Reef Channel Islands Stellwagen Bank Cordell Bank Gray's Reef Monterey Bay Olympic Coast General Information About Sylvia Earle Post-Summit Summary General Information Date: August 1, 1999 5:00pm Participants: Students from the Student Ocean Council Theme: Sustainable Seas Expeditions Among other things, the students will talk with Dr. Earle about the habitat and living resources of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. On Sunday August 1st at 5:00 PM Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary will conduct Sustainable Seas Expeditions Sanctuary Summit '99. The Summit will give local students the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of world renowned ocean scientist, Dr. Sylvia Earle, as well as other staff involved with the project. During the 1999 school year 17 local private and public high school students participated in Gray's Reef's Savannah Student Ocean Council. The students met monthly with professionals in ocean science related fields. Most of the sessions began with short presentations by the professionals about their work and ended with the presenters conducting hands-on activities they designed specifically for these sessions. The presenters represented professions ranging from research scientist to fish hatchery manager from marine educator to boat captain. These students will be the participants in the Student Summit '99.   (top)   About Sylvia Earle Sylvia Earle National Geographic Society Marine biologist Sylvia Earle is Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, a position she has held since 1998. She is working with a variety of Society divisions on projects involving her passion -oceans - especially serving as project director of Sustainable Seas Expeditions and writing three books for publication in 1999. Named one of Time Magazine's "heroes for the planet" in 1998, Earle has pioneered research on marine ecosystems and has led more than 50 expeditions totaling 6,000 hours underwater. She holds numerous diving records and is the author of more than 100 scientific and popular publications, including a 1995 book "Sea Change." Earle was born August 30, 1935, in Gibbstown, NJ. She has a bachelor's degree from Florida State University and a master's and doctorate from Duke University as well as nine honorary doctorate degrees. She lives in Oakland, California.  Post-Summit Summary Dr. Earle shared her personal experiences with whatever the students talked about and offered comments on how their interest might be turned into a long-term study. Sunday August 1st was a scorcher indeed, and after five hours of unrelenting 105 F temperatures in the shade with no hint of a breeze the Gray's Reef Ocean Festival on River Street neared its end. A few of the students in the Sanctuary Student Ocean Council braved the heat and stuck with us through the afternoon helping out in the various tents set up to educate the general public about the oceans. As the day turned into evening and the festival wound down the temperatures seemed to climb even higher along with the anxiety that our guest speaker Dr. Sylvia Earle, Executive Director of Sustainable Seas Expeditions and Explorer in Residence for National Geographic Society, would not arrive in time for the planned student summit. Sylvia however came through while many of the students did not. Even though Sylvia was about an hour late due to a canceled flight which caused her to scramble to even get to Savannah at all, she still came through to deliver a memorable message and to interact with the students who did brave the heat. With her usual gracious aplomb looking cool and calm and refreshed despite her travel ordeal from the west coast, Sylvia gave the few students who gathered to hear her and be in her presence, her undivided attention. She earnestly asked each of the students what their interests were, listening intently and nodding her head in approval as they shared their interests in and fascinations with sharks and dolphins. Sylvia's effectiveness as a teacher and mentor comes from not only her ability to speak knowledgeably and eloquently about the many aspects of the oceans and its creatures but in listening to her audience. She chatted with each student directly giving them the "one on one" that is so integral in encouraging a young mind. She shared her personal experiences with whatever the students talked about and offered comments on how their interest might be turned into a long-term study. Sylvia also asked how they would use a submersible to research their subject. She listened intently as the students explained their ideas again nodding encouragement and giving good advice that even the adults strained to hear as well. Sylvia's soft voice at times was no match for the noise of cars and boats traversing the river and the street, so we all enclosed the circle even tighter. Drips of sweat were trickling down our necks and backs but Sylvia's pearls of wisdom refreshed us and made us forget the noise and the heat. Her pearls were many with the best perhaps being that any great research starts with a dream and is accomplished by doing whatever it takes to make it happen. "The opportunity to study a particular topic most likely will not be thrown in your lap," she said, "so if you want something to happen, you have to get it on your own. It may take your own money, time and resources to get started, but in the end it will pay off." That of course applies to life in general. I think everyone that listened to Sylvia that afternoon was impressed with her unwavering conviction to leave this planet a little better than when she came into it. Her passion is the ocean, and some of that passion couldn't have helped splashing on to all of us. (top)   For more information on the Sanctuary Summit at the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, please contact: Cathy Sakas, Education Coordinator Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (912) 598-2345 Cathy.Sakas@noaa.gov

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