Ballard, Robert Duane (1942-…), is an American pioneer in deep-sea exploration. His most famous discovery was the shipwrecked luxury liner Titanic in 1985. Ballard has helped design deep-sea research vehicles known as submersibles. In the early 1980’s, he developed Argo-Jason. Argo-Jason was a remotely controlled submersible with video cameras. The vehicle also had a detachable robot that could collect samples.
In 1974, Ballard took part in Project FAMOUS (French-American Mid-Ocean Undersea Study). In that study, Ballard explored the underwater mountain chain called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In 1977, Ballard and other explorers found hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. These vents are places where heated water flows from the ocean floor. They support whole communities of unknown living organisms. Ballard’s Jason Foundation for Education, a nonprofit organization, educates students through science projects.
Ballard was born on June 30, 1942, in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up in California. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He also has a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island.
