Archaeologist Robert Ballard, Discoveries of Sunken Ships, and Unusual Marine Life Species

Robert D. Ballard, the naval veteran-turned-oceanographer, made headlines in 1985 when he discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic, funded by the U.S. Navy for a secret study of sunken submarines. However, Ballard's contributions to oceanography extend far beyond this iconic find.

In the early 1970s, scientists were refining the basics of plate tectonics theory. This knowledge would prove crucial in Ballard's later discoveries, particularly the discovery of hydrothermal vents. The discovery of these underwater hot springs found at cracks in the ocean's crust, often near volcanic activity, changed scientists' thinking about the evolution of life on Earth and the chemistry of the ocean.

Ballard's discovery of hydrothermal vents was made during the Alvin Expedition in 1977. Although the expedition was primarily a male-dominated team, led by Dr. Jack Corliss, it is important to note that the original discovery was made in 1977, not 1976. Women were not significantly involved in the first expedition, but a year earlier, in 1976, geochemical research was conducted on the R/V Knorr, with Kathleen Crane, a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, marking a site called "Clambake" for future research.

The first scientific publication to emerge from the Alvin Expedition was published in the prestigious journal Science in 1979, under the title "Submarine Thermal Springs on the Galápagos Rift." The co-authors included J.B. Corliss, J. Dymond, L.I. Gordon, J.M. Edmond, R.D. Ballard, K. Green, D. Williams, A. Bainbridge, K. Crane, and T.H. van Andel. Unfortunately, no women were listed as authors in this publication.

However, women like Dr. Kathy Van Dover and Dr. Colleen Cavanaugh played significant roles in the scientific literature on the ecology, microbiology, and evolution of hydrothermal vents, but not in the initial discovery itself. Their often-cited works, such as:

Van Dover, C.L. : "Hot, bright spots: life at deep-sea vents" (Nature)
Cavanaugh, C.M. et al. : "Prokaryotic cells in the hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila Jones: Possible chemoautotrophic symbionts" (Science)

began in the 1980s and later.

Ballard's Ocean Exploration Trust research vessel, the E.V. Nautilus, has many women as permanent crew members, reflecting his commitment to promoting diversity in oceanographic exploration and research, especially gender diversity. The Jason Learning project, founded by Ballard in 1989, also features many women. Being at sea with other marine scientists has provided tremendous joy in Ballard's career.

The article was originally published by The Conversation in 2021.