The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly stressed Gulf of Mexico will permanently alter the nature of the area.
SYLVIA EARLEOn a sea floor that looks like a sandy mud bottom, that at first glance might appear to be sand and mud, when you look closely and sit there as I do for a while and just wait, all sorts of creatures show themselves, with little heads popping out of the sand. It is a metropolis.
More Sylvia Earle Quotes
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Every time I slip into the ocean, it’s like going home.
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You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks.
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I’ve had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see, and to know what I know.
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Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to our doorstep.
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There is a terribly terrestrial mindset about what we need to do to take care of the planet.
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We have been far too aggressive about extracting ocean wildlife, not appreciating that there are limits and even points of no return.
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I’m not against extracting a modest amount of wildlife out of the ocean for human consumption, but I am really concerned about the large-scale industrial fishing that engages in destructive practices like trawling and longlining.
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That, in turn, influences the temperature of the planet. The Arctic is now vulnerable because of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with a rate of melting that is stunning.
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They have a lateral line down their whole body that senses motion, but maybe it does more than that.
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I have lots of heroes: anyone and everyone who does whatever they can to leave the natural world better than they found it.
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Health to the ocean means health for us.
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A lumberman will look at a forest and see so many board feet of lumber. I see a living city.
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I have come up at the end of a dive, and the boat was not where I left it. I had to take care of a buddy who did panic. But I was confident the boat would come back.
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I love my Force Fins, which are the kind of fins Special Forces use and really are adapted from the fins of fish. They’re very efficient.
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Why is it that scuba divers and surfers are some of the strongest advocates of ocean conservation? Because they’ve spent time in and around the ocean, and they’ve personally seen the beauty.
SYLVIA EARLE






