1945-

American marine scientist and undersea explorer who holds the world's depth record for solo diving—1,000 meters (3281 feet). In 1970 she led the Tektite II Mission, in which she and four other women lived 50 feet (15 meters) below the ocean for two weeks. In the 1980s she founded Deep Ocean Engineering, a company that designs and builds undersea vehicles. She took a leave from Deep Ocean in the early 1990s to serve as chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where she was responsible for overseeing the health of the nation's waters.