Sylvia Earle, the oceanographer, marine biologist and author known for her record-setting descents in the sea, will speak Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Cornell University on the topic "Exploring Troubled Waters."

The slide- and video-illustrated lecture in the G-10 conference room of the Biotechnology Building is open to the public at no charge with free parking. A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow the lecture at 8:30 p.m.

An expert on marine algae, Earle focuses her research on the ecology of ocean ecosystems and the development of technology for study of the deep sea. More than 6,000 hours of diving prompted a concern for the deterioration of the marine environment, she says, noting that research budgets for ocean science and technology are relatively small compared with spending on space exploration. She is an eloquent advocate for marine conservation.

Earle is the co-founder and director of Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc., chair of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research and a research associate of the Smithsonian Institution. She earned a Ph.D. from Duke University and has been awarded eight honorary doctorates. A former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earle is the author of more than 100 scientific, technical and popular publications, including the 1995 book, Sea Change. She has led more than 50 expeditions worldwide, among them, the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970; and she holds the depth record for solo diving at 1,000 meters.

Earle's university lecture is sponsored by Shoals Marine Laboratory, which is Cornell's undergraduate marine sciences program, and by Finger Lakes Productions, which produces the "Animal Instincts" show for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Earle is the voice of "The Ocean Report," another nationally broadcast radio program from Finger Lakes Productions. For more information, call 275-9400.