Robert Ballard

Explorer, author, television producer, scientist, naval officer, and educator. Over the last 30 years, Dr. Robert Ballard has organized and conducted more than 100 deep-sea expeditions and has spent more time underwater than any other scientist in the world.

During the course of his long seagoing career, Dr. Ballard has made a growing number of significant discoveries including his world-famous discovery of the sunken British luxury liner R.M.S. Titanic which lies in 12,500 feet of water off the coast of Newfoundland. That discovery was followed two years later with his finding of the sunken remains of the German Battleship Bismarck in 16,000 feet of water.

In addition to his expeditions to locate and document ships of historic significance beneath the sea, Dr. Ballard has also had a long and distinguished scientific career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Here, too, he has made important discoveries including the first manned exploration of the Mid-Ocean Ridge, the largest geologic feature on the surface of the planet and the site of continuous volcanic activity. He discovered exotic animals living and thriving in the total darkness of the Galapagos Rift where they were able to ingest poisonous toxins and are able to duplicate photosynthic processes through a series of reactions called chemosynthesis.

The author of several books [including The Eternal Darkness and The Discovery of the Titanic], he hosted the National Geographic “Explorer” television series. Dr. Robert Ballard is a noted lecturer who through the use of beautiful photographs and videos draws parallels between his journeys of exploration and discovery to everyday life. He talks about how he has turned his dreams into reality by taking risks and learning how to face failure and turn it into success.