Photo Courtesy of OAR/National Undersea Research Program (NURP)
As Dr. Sylvia Earle landed on the ocean floor, 1,250 feet below sea level she, "asked them to turn off the lights so we could have a completely dark ocean." She achieved this world record dive in 1979, in a "personal submersible" also known as a JIM suit, and the world's understanding of the ocean's biodiversity would never be the same.
Dr. Sylvia Earle is a biologist and oceanographer that has been at the forefront of protecting the ocean for the last 50 years, a true modern-day Sea Witch. She recognized that 12% of the world's land is protected as National Parks, but only a fraction of 1% of the world's ocean is protected. Her life's work of fighting for the ocean culminated to creating her non-profit, Mission Blue. Mission Blue stands for inspiring action to explore and protect the ocean, the planet's most biodiverse ecosystem. The non-profit has distinguished Hope Spots, to protect the ocean in the same way we protect the land. Presently, there are 93 and counting Hope Spots and without Dr. Sylvia Earle, these areas of the ocean would not have a voice against humans devasting degradation.
Dr. Sylvia Earle's research shows us that our human impact of polluting and over fishing are the reasons the most bio diverse place on the planet is in a critically declining condition. But she calls each of us to action to recognize that if we wait another 50 years to fix what we now know, then the opportunity to save our oceans will be gone. We must reduce our fish consumption and greenhouse gas generation, and reject plastic from our waste streams.
Sea Witch Botanicals is proud to donate 10% of our online sales every Tuesday in November to Mission Blue to extend our business' mission of protecting the waterways to a global cause.
Photo Coursey of Wikimedia Commons
