173 | Sylvia Earle on the Oceans, the Planet, and People

<p>It’s a well-worn cliché that oceans cover seventy percent of the surface of Earth, but we tend to give them secondary consideration when thinking about the environment. But climate change is wreaking havoc on the oceans, not to mention pollution and overfishing —&nbsp;<a href="https://unctad.org/news/90-fish-stocks-are-used-fisheries-subsidies-must-stop" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">90%</a>&nbsp;of the world’s marine fish stocks are fully exploited or depleted. Today’s guest, Sylvia Earle, is a well-known ocean scientist, a celebrated underwater explorer, and a tireless advocate for the world’s oceans. We talk about the current state of our oceans, what we know and have yet to learn about them, and what we can do individually and collectively to make things better.</p><p><em>Support Mindscape on&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Patreon</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Sylvia Earle received her Ph.D. in phycology from Duke University. She is currently National Geographic’s Rosemary and Roger Enrico Chair for Ocean Exploration, as well as founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://mission-blue.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mission Blue</a>, SEAlliance and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doermarine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deep Ocean Exploration and Research</a>. She formerly served as Chief Scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Among her awards are the TED Prize, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the Seattle Aquarium. She is the author of several books, the most recent of which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Ocean-Global-Odyssey/dp/1426221924" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey</em></a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://mission-blue.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mission Blue</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/e