We’re keeping the ocean wild — and you can join us | Sylvia A. Earle

We’re keeping the ocean wild — and you can join us | Sylvia A. Earle

From TED Talks Daily by TED

June 8, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Sylvia A. Earle discusses the progress and urgency of ocean conservation efforts since her 2009 TED talk.

In 2009, marine biologist Sylvia Earle stood on the TED stage and made a wish: to build a global network of "Hope Spots" and protect the ocean before it's too late. Seventeen years later, she's back to report on what's happened since — and the picture is both more urgent and more hopeful than you might expect. From 100,000 fur seals saved from near-extinction to coral reefs rebuilt clam by clam, Earle says we already know exactly what needs to be done; the only thing left is to find the will to do it. (Following her talk, Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, interviews Earle on how she uses AI to gather data on the ocean and what she saw in a one-person submarine surfacing off the coast of Hawaii during a storm.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Elise Hu

Guest: Sylvia A. Earle

Topics covered

  • ocean conservation
  • marine biology
  • environmental activism
  • AI in research
  • coral reef restoration

Keywords

  • ocean
  • marine biology
  • Hope Spots
  • coral reefs
  • AI
  • environment
  • conservation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TED

Places: Hawaii

More episodes of TED Talks Daily

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the TED Talks Daily podcast page.