Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was both an aquatic biologist as well as an environmental conservationist. She opened the public eye to the negative environmental health outcomes resulting from the use of chemical pesticides. She started a revolution regarding environmental health that was met with much opposition by the chemical companies that benefitted from its use. This ultimately led to the ban of the toxic pesticide DDT and others. Her efforts sparked a fire in many other environmentalist of that era which ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier in her career she wrote a book called Under the Sea-Wind which contributed to the scientific literature of marine biology and oceanography. This was followed by her books The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea which expanded her contribution to science being known as a leading science writer in the United States at that time.