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Ballard, Robert Duane (băl`ərd), 1942–, American marine geologist, b. Wichita, Kans.; Ph.D. Univ. of Rhode Island, 1974. In 1969, he began an association with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, where he eventually became the head of the Deep Submergence Laboratory. He combined interests in plate tectonics and engineering to participate in the development of the manned deep-sea submersible Alvin and to develop remotely navigated underwater survey equipment that made possible detailed mapping of the midocean ridge. Some of this equipment was used in his searches for the wrecks of the Titanic Titanic (tītăn`ĭk), British liner that sank on the night of Apr.
..... Click the link for more information. , the Lusitania Lusitania, liner under British registration, sunk off the Irish coast by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. In the sinking, 1,198 persons lost their lives, 128 of whom were U.S. citizens.
..... Click the link for more information. , the German battleship Bismarck, and John F. Kennedy Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, 1917–63, 35th President of the United States (1961–63), b. Brookline, Mass.; son of Joseph P. Kennedy .

Early Life

..... Click the link for more information. 's PT 109. During exploration of the Galapagos rift, he was among the first to observe the ecosystems surrounding hydrothermal vents hydrothermal vent, crack along a rift or ridge in the deep ocean floor that spews out water heated to high temperatures by the magma under the earth's crust.
..... Click the link for more information. . Well known for his emphasis on educating the public, he has written Exploring Our Living Planet (1983) and other books and founded the Jason Project, which allows young people to participate in expeditions via live hook-ups with their schools. Ballard is also associated with the Mystic (Conn.) Marine Aquarium, where he heads the Institute for Exploration.

Bibliography

See his The Eternal Darkness: A Personal History of Deep-Sea Exploration (2000; with W. Hively).