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United States Robert Ballard is a renowned oceanographer, marine geologist, and retired U.S. Navy officer, celebrated for his pioneering work in underwater exploration and archaeology.
Famed explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, who found the wreck of the Titanic, recently visited ONR to celebrate his 53-year partnership with the command.
In 2008, Dr. Ballard founded the Ocean Exploration Trust and acquired the ..., Explore the ocean with Dr. Robert Ballard and the Corps of Exploration. Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program seek out new discoveries ... The Center for Ocean Exploration (COE) works in collaboration with the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), which Dr. Ballard founded in 2009.
His appearance, hosted in partnership with the Peoria Riverfront Museum, will debut a traveling exhibition entitled “Finding Titanic: The Secret ...
Ballard is well-known for his 1985 discovery of the RMS Titanic and 1986 exploration of the Titanic, where he teamed up with WHOI and the HOV Alvin to capture ... I am an oceanographer who spent 30 years at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) where I studied 'Plate tectonics and the volcanic, ...
A new documentary from Nat Geo, Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life, takes a look at the life of Bob Ballard and his amazing accomplishments.
This exploration is made possible by the expertise, support, and collaboration of many partners, including NOAA Ocean Exploration, U.S. Naval ...
Robert Duane Ballard was born on June 30, 1942, in Wichita, Kansas. His family later relocated to southern California, where his father worked as a flight test engineer. Ballard’s early interest in underwater exploration was sparked by watching the 1954 film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” During high school, he engaged in research expeditions with oceanographers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He pursued his academic career at the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning undergraduate degrees in chemistry and geology in 1965. He also completed the U.S. Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program, receiving an Army officer’s commission in Army Intelligence.
Ballard obtained his first graduate degree, an MS in geophysics, from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute of Geophysics in 1966. While working towards a PhD in marine geology at the University of Southern California in 1967, he was called to active duty, transferring to the U.S. Navy as an oceanographer. He was assigned as a liaison to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. After transitioning to reserve status in 1970, he continued his work at Woods Hole, advocating for the use of the submersible Alvin in undersea research. He completed his PhD in marine geology and geophysics at the University of Rhode Island.
His career highlights include the discovery of hydrothermal vents in the mid-1970s, undersea volcanic features supporting unique ecosystems. Ballard is widely recognized for discovering the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985. His exploration efforts also led to the discovery of the German battleship Bismarck in 1989, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in 1998, and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 in 2002. In the 1990s, he founded the Institute for Exploration, focusing on deep-sea archaeology and geology, which later partnered with the Mystic Aquarium. In 2003, he established the Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. He also implemented the JASON Project, an educational initiative designed to engage middle school students in science and technology.
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