Institute For Exploration News

The question on many minds this week is why did some of the world’s richest men risk death to venture to the bottom of the sea in a cold and cramped “experimental” submersible for a chance to glimpse the wreck of the Titanic?The “unsinkable” ship that sunk on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg is arguably the world’s most well-known boat. The Titanic is recognisable to more of the world’s population than, say, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria (Christopher Colombus’s fleet that launched the Spanish conquest of the Americas)…

The U.S. Navy's next Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship will be named USNS Robert Ballard (T-AGS 67), Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced on Wednesday.The name selection follows the tradition of naming survey ships after explorers, oceanographers and distinguished marine surveyors. Widely known as a discoverer of the final resting place of the R.M.S. Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, former director of the Center for Ocean Exploration…

During a recent Gulf of Mexico expedition, NOAA, BOEM and partners discovered an historic wooden-hulled vessel which is believed to have sunk as long as 200 years ago. Scientists on board the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer used underwater robots with lights and high definition cameras to view remnants of the ship laden with anchors, navigational instruments, glass bottles, ceramic plates, cannons, and boxes of muskets. Equipped with telepresence technology, Okeanos Explorer reached audiences around the world who participated in the expedition through live streaming Internet video. As members of the public ashore watched live video from the ocean bottom…

•    Frances G. •    Terry D. •    Cherry A. The bipartisan Commission, established through an Executive Order, is tasked with providing recommendations on how we can prevent – and mitigate the impact of – any future spills that result from offshore drilling. The Council is co-chaired by former two-term Florida Governor and former U.S. Senator Bob Graham and former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William K. Reilly. Frances G. Frances Beinecke is currently the President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a non-profit corporation that works to advance environmental policy in the United States and across the world. Ms. Beinecke has worked at NRDC for 35 years, serving as executive director, associate director and deputy executive director.

Military Sealift Command (MSC) oceanographic survey ship USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS 60) identified two sunken vessels during a joint, at-sea capabilities demonstration in Ukrainian territorial waters. German coastal submarine U-18 was the first target the oceanographers identified using underwater video capabilities with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The second ship is believed to be RUS Prut, a Russian minelayer that sank during World War I in 1914. "The sea floor is a resting place for brave sailors, regardless of the country they come from," said Dr. Serge A.

Military Sealift Command oceanographic survey ship USNS Pathfinder arrived in , , to pick up Ukrainian personnel and members of the U.S.-based Institute for Exploration for an upcoming at-sea capabilities demonstration with ’s Department of Underwater Heritage. In April 2008, the Ukranian government invited the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet to demonstrate U.S. Navy hydrographic survey capabilities and to help search for SS Armenia, a sunken, World War II Soviet hospital ship. During the at-sea demonstration, civilian surveyors from the Naval Oceanographic Office Institute for Exploration and Ukraine’s Department of Underwater Heritage will work together to search for the downed vessel.

Nuclear Research Submarine NR-1, towed by Submarine Support Vessel (SSV) Carolyn Chouest, pulled into Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 25 to take part in an expedition to survey the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and other sites of interest in the Gulf of Mexico. “This mission is going to be exciting and full of new challenges for the Submarine NR-1, and the crew of SSV Carolyn Chouest,” said Lt. Paul M. Kutia, operations officer for NR-1. The Navy will work in collaboration with The Institute for Exploration, the University of Rhode Island, Immersion Presents, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program to broadcast their findings over live satellite.

Dr. Robert Ballard and an interdisciplinary team of scientists will explore the fascinating undersea landscape of NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). One of the 13 U.S. national marine sanctuaries, the FGBNMS is located approximately 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast. Named for its colorful corals and sponges, the sanctuary was targeted for exploration because of its unique geology and biology. Its geological history also makes it a viable location to search for evidence of early human habitation that could predate current evidence of North America's first inhabitants. This expedition represents a unique collaboration between the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)…

View of the USS Monitor wreck, which sank on Dec. 31, 1862, and now teams with marine life. NOAA and Immersion Presents launched oceanslive.org, a marine science portal that offers live video and special content to educate people of all ages about the ocean, including national marine sanctuaries. Immersion Presents is an after-school science education program founded by ocean explorer Robert Ballard. "NOAA is excited to offer this dynamic Internet-based resource, which will allow students, educators and the public to share in the thrill of discovery while learning more about the natural and cultural treasures of our national marine sanctuaries and the underwater world," said NOAA National Marine Sanctuary program director Daniel J. Basta.

Dr. William Anderson, director of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL), today announced the appointment of State Archaeologist John R. Halsey to the Joint Management Committee administering the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Preserve off the coast of Alpena. Halsey, who represents Michigan on the federal-state committee, will serve a two-year term expiring Jan. 1, 2005. The other member of the Joint Management Committee is Daniel J. Basta, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Sanctuary Program. "The unique federal-state partnership at Thunder Bay presents a tremendous opportunity to teach people about Great Lakes maritime history…