Skip to main content

TED Prize wish: Protect our oceans - Sylvia Earle

48,288 Views

4,152 Questions Answered

TED Talk

Let’s Begin…

Legendary ocean researcher Sylvia Earle shares astonishing images of the ocean -- and shocking stats about its rapid decline -- as she makes her TED Prize wish: that we will join her in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet. Sylvia Earle has been at the frontier of deep ocean exploration for four decades. She's led more than 50 undersea expeditions, and she's been an equally tireless advocate for our oceans and the creatures who live in them.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

The sea is a shared global resource. How do the world’s countries collaborate to protect the sea and manage its natural resources? Is there a law that governs the ocean? A few good resources include:Wikipedia: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_SeaInternational Tribunal for the Law of the Sea http://www.itlos.org/International Union for Conservation of Nature http://www.iucn.org/UN-Oceans http://www.unoceans.org/Index.htmNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration http://www.noaa.gov/Earle believes that “with knowing comes caring…but first we have to know.” Research one of the problems plaguing what Earle calls “the blue heart of the planet.” This might be melting sea ice, acidification, overfishing, pollution, or another recognized threat to the health of the oceans. Then, think about how to present your findings to your classmates and community members. (Consider something that might coincide with, kick off, or culminate on World Oceans Day, which is June 8-- http://worldoceansday.org/). How can you present the information so that others will really understand it? (knowing) And how can you present it so that people will be motivated to do something about it? (caring) How can people in your area help?The New York Times:Oceans at dire risk, team of scientists warns (06/21/2011) http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/oceans-are-at-dire-risk-team-of-scientists-warns/International Program on the State of the Ocean http://www.stateoftheocean.org/National Geographic: The Ocean http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/?source=NavEnvOceanTED: Robert Ballard on exploring the oceans http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/robert_ballard_on_exploring_the_oceans.html

About TED Talk Lessons

TED Talk Lessons are created by TED-Ed using phenomenal TED Talks. Do you have an idea for a lesson? Create it now using any video from YouTube »

Meet The Creators

  • Speaker Sylvia Earle

More from Discovering the Deep