View source for Robert Ballard

{{Short description|Retired US Navy officer and professor of oceanography}}
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{{BLP sources|date=June 2023}}
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{{Infobox person
| name               = Robert Ballard
| image              = Dr. Ballard visit 2023 (52976464273) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Ballard in 2023
| birth_name         = Robert Duane Ballard
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1942|6|30}}
| birth_place        = [[Wichita, Kansas]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| known_for          = Ocean exploration and underwater archaeology; discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS ''Titanic'', the battleship ''Bismarck'', the aircraft carrier USS ''Yorktown'', and John F. Kennedy's ''PT-109''
| education          = [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br />[[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])<br />[[University of Rhode Island]] ([[PhD]])
| employer           = [[University of Rhode Island]] (Graduate School of Oceanography)
| awards             = Kilby International Awards (1994)<br /> The Explorer Medal (1995)<br />[[Hubbard Medal]] (1996)<br />[[James H. Shea Award]] (2000)<br />Caird Medal (2002)
| module             = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
   |nickname=
   |allegiance= United States
   |branch= {{ubl|[[United States Army]]|[[United States Navy]]}}
   |serviceyears= 1965–1995
   |rank=[[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|25px]] [[Commander (United States)|Commander]]
   |unit=
   |commands=
   |battles=
   |awards=
   |relations=
  }}
}}

'''Robert Duane Ballard''' (born June 30, 1942) is an American retired Navy officer and a professor of [[oceanography]] at the [[University of Rhode Island]] who is noted for his work in [[underwater archaeology]] ([[maritime archaeology]] and [[archaeology of shipwrecks]]) and [[marine geology]]. He is best known by the general public for the discoveries of the [[Wreck of the Titanic|wrecks of the RMS ''Titanic'']] in 1985, the [[German battleship Bismarck|battleship ''Bismarck'']] in 1989, and the aircraft carrier {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|6}} in 1998. He discovered the wreck of [[John F. Kennedy]]'s ''[[Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109|PT-109]]'' in 2002 and visited [[Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana]], who saved its crew.

Ballard discovered [[hydrothermal vent]]s, undersea volcanic features that emit plumes of hot, nutrient-laden water which support the only ecosystems on Earth entirely independent of the [[Sun]]. He was quoted as saying that "finding hydrothermal vents beats the hell out of finding the ''Titanic''". His mother later agreed, commenting "It's too bad you found that rusty old boat... they're only going to remember you for finding [it]".<ref name=weston>{{cite news| last=Weston | first=Phoebe | title=I discovered hydrothermal vents, but I'm only known for finding the Titanic |newspaper=The Guardian | date=9 May 2024 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/09/robert-ballard-discovery-hydrothermal-vents-deep-sea-ocean-expeditions-titanic-aoe}}</ref> Ballard also established the [[JASON Project]], and leads ocean exploration on the research vessel [[EV Nautilus|E/V ''Nautilus'']].<ref name="About_Robert_Ballard">{{cite web |author=Sea Research Foundation |date=2011 |title=About Robert Ballard |url=http://www.nautiluslive.org/people/robert-ballard |access-date=April 27, 2012 |publisher=nautiluslive.org |archive-date=May 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519103336/https://nautiluslive.org/people/robert-ballard |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Mission |url=https://jason.org/about/ |access-date=November 18, 2022 |website=JASON Learning |language=en-US |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118024344/https://jason.org/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="podcast">{{cite web |title=Sulfur |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p027xnp2 |website=Elements |publisher=BBC |date=October 11, 2014 |access-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226113918/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p027xnp2 |url-status=live }}. Download [https://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/https/vpid/p02rc2q5.mp3 here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206135207/https://stitcher2.acast.com/livestitches/345452cc47845eb5a6d06e960e17291b.mp3?ci=1lkC7GL7iMMd64q_1b7zORnJZU20f7NR209AzXBv9NBBu7596OSdCg%3D%3D&pf=rss&sv=sphinx%401.147.3&uid=00c62425eff952c4f81b87ab97538e44&Expires=1675703226638&Key-Pair-Id=K38CTQXUSD0VVB&Signature=MHPwpY2QNdyXgswZWs771ybPKEVuKq~SEvx9SWzpKKyy3z5Kwb4NUMqs6uoPNDLRUpuNMSl-aiNSuY289sZubVA5kZzLWwnvG21nZQzHmTqv~zSqlFLbf~LaQkxdgjQOEBbHQkA6Eo5UycI7vl-dVQHdtL7nqpdsoTGflGKHyNyth1W4FPyBcLS~-axDbUPxnBIqq3j9kzXztkrVDpaDTJcgWximNUGnGU7ui46l9CIAtmblQ2Yvzm751NUycDPv1IFNQogjNwNZfm5rhFwyq3s8bQV46tbCimWZwseJ667Rf8y3jUdW~SdSSqN827u57YzLdYeQDX4JUQyxpQTZVg__ |date=February 6, 2023 }}.</ref>

==Early life and education==
Robert Duane Ballard was born on June 30, 1942{{r|into_the_deep|p=192}} in [[Wichita, Kansas]].<ref name="britannica">{{cite web
  | title = Robert Ballard
  | publisher = Encyclopedia Britannica
  | date = 2021
  | url = https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Ballard-American-oceanographer
  | accessdate = February 6, 2023
  | archive-date = September 28, 2020
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200928150350/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Ballard-American-oceanographer
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> He had an older brother, Richard, and a younger sister, Nancy Ann. When Ballard was two years old, his family moved to southern [[California]], where his father worked as a flight test engineer.{{r|into_the_deep|p=15}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D7143AF930A15755C0A96F948260|title=Crew of Bismarck may have sunk her|newspaper=The New York Times|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=February 6, 2023|date=June 23, 1989|archive-date=February 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202093146/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D7143AF930A15755C0A96F948260|url-status=live}}</ref> He has attributed his early interest in [[underwater exploration]] to watching the 1954 film ''[[20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film)|20,000 Leagues Under the Sea]]'', an adaptation of [[Jules Verne]]'s [[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas|1870 novel]].{{r|into_the_deep|pp=19-20}} While he was a high school student, his father connected him with oceanographers at [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]], and he participated in several short research expeditions. {{r|into_the_deep|pp=21-24}} Ballard enrolled at [[University of California, Santa Barbara]], and joined the Army [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]].{{r|into_the_deep|pp=27-30}}

Beginning in 1962, Ballard worked part-time with [[Andreas Rechnitzer]]'s Ocean Systems Group at [[North American Aviation]], where his father was the chief engineer of North American's [[LGM-30 Minuteman|Minuteman missile]] program. At North American, Ballard worked on its failed proposal to build the [[submersible]] [[DSV Alvin|''Alvin'']] for the [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In 1965, Ballard graduated from the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]], earning undergraduate degrees in chemistry and geology. While a student in [[Santa Barbara, California]], he joined [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] fraternity, and also completed the [[US Army]]'s [[ROTC]] program, giving him an Army officer's commission in Army Intelligence. His first graduate degree ([[Master of Science|MS]], 1966) was in geophysics from the [[University of Hawaiʻi]]'s Institute of Geophysics where he trained porpoises and whales. Subsequently, he returned to Andreas Rechnitzer's Ocean Systems Group at [[North American Aviation]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Ballard was working towards a [[PhD]] in [[marine geology]] at the [[University of Southern California]] in 1967 when he was called to active duty. Upon his request, he was transferred from the Army into the [[US Navy]] as an [[oceanographer]]. The Navy assigned him as a liaison between the [[Office of Naval Research]] and the [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]] in [[Woods Hole, Massachusetts]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

After leaving active duty and entering the Naval Reserve in 1970, Ballard continued working at Woods Hole persuading organizations and people, mostly scientists, to fund and use ''Alvin'' for undersea research. Four years later he received a PhD in [[marine geology]] and [[geophysics]] at the [[University of Rhode Island]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

==Military career==
Ballard joined the [[United States Army Reserve]] in 1965 through the [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps|Reserve Officers Training program]]. He was commissioned as a [[Second Lieutenant|second lieutenant]] and assigned to [[Military Intelligence Corps (United States Army)|army intelligence]]. When called to active duty in 1967, he asked to fulfill his obligation in the [[United States Navy]]. His request was approved, and he was transferred to the [[United States Navy Reserve|Navy Reserve]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ballard |first1=Robert D. |last2=McConnell |first2=Malcolm |date=1998 |title=Explorations: A Life of Underwater Adventure |location=New York |publisher=Hyperion |pages=23–29 |isbn=0-7868-8389-8}}</ref> After completing his active-duty obligation in 1970, he was returned to reserve status, where he remained for much of his military career, being called up only for mandatory training and special assignments. He retired from the Navy as a [[Commander (United States)|commander]] in 1995 after reaching the statutory service limit.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

==Marine geology==
Ballard's first dive in a submersible was in the [[Ben Franklin (PX-15)|''Ben Franklin'' (PX-15)]] in 1969 off the coast of [[Florida]] during a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution expedition. In the summer of 1970, he began a field mapping project of the [[Gulf of Maine]] for his [[doctoral dissertation]]. It used an air gun that sent sound waves underwater to determine the underlying structure of the ocean floor and the submersible ''Alvin'', which was used to find and recover a sample from the [[bedrock]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Ballard was geologist diver in ''Alvin'' during [[Project FAMOUS]], which explored the median [[rift valley]] of the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]] in 1974.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ballard|first1=R. D.|last2=Bryan|first2=W. B.|last3=Heirtzler|first3=J. R.|last4=Keller|first4=G.|last5=Moore|first5=J. G.|last6=Andel|first6=Tj. van|date=1975|title=Manned Submersible Observations in the FAMOUS Area: Mid-Atlantic Ridge|journal=Science|volume=190|issue=4210|pages=103–108|issn=0036-8075|jstor=1740930|doi=10.1126/science.190.4210.103|bibcode=1975Sci...190..103B|s2cid=128755348}}</ref>

During the summer of 1975, Ballard participated in a joint French-American expedition called [[Phere]] searching for [[hydrothermal vents]] over the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]], but the expedition did not find any active vents.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

On the Galapagos [[spreading center]] east of the islands a 1977 exploration by ''Alvin'' found deep-sea hydrothermal vents surrounded by [[Hydrothermal vent#Biology of hydrothermal vents|communities of living organisms]] with energy derived by [[chemosynthesis]]. Ballard was a participating diver.<ref name=":0" /> While the discovery was of immense biological significance, the expedition's scientists were all geologists, with no biologists, as it was thought certain there would be no life to study, let alone forms unknown to science.<ref name=weston/>

The 1979 [[RISE project (oceanography)|RISE project]] expedition on the [[East Pacific Rise]] west of Mexico at 21°N was aided by deep-towed still camera sleds that were able to take pictures of the ocean floor, making it easier to find hydrothermal vent locations. When ''Alvin'' inspected one of the sites the deep tow located, the scientists observed black "smoke" billowing out of the vents, something not observed at the [[Galápagos]] Rift.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Corliss|first1=John B.|last2=Dymond|first2=Jack|last3=Gordon|first3=Louis I.|last4=Edmond|first4=John M.|last5=von Herzen|first5=Richard P.|last6=Ballard|first6=Robert D.|last7=Green|first7=Kenneth|last8=Williams|first8=David|last9=Bainbridge|first9=Arnold|date=March 16, 1979|title=Submarine Thermal Springs on the Galápagos Rift|journal=Science|language=en|volume=203|issue=4385|pages=1073–1083|doi=10.1126/science.203.4385.1073|pmid=17776033|issn=0036-8075|bibcode=1979Sci...203.1073C|s2cid=39869961}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Spiess|first1=F. N.|last2=Macdonald|first2=K. C.|last3=Atwater|first3=T.|last4=Ballard|first4=R.|last5=Carranza|first5=A.|last6=Cordoba|first6=D.|last7=Cox|first7=C.|last8=Garcia|first8=V. M. D.|last9=Francheteau|first9=J.|date=March 28, 1980|title=East Pacific Rise: Hot Springs and Geophysical Experiments|journal=Science|language=en|volume=207|issue=4438|pages=1421–1433|doi=10.1126/science.207.4438.1421|pmid=17779602|issn=0036-8075|bibcode=1980Sci...207.1421S|s2cid=28363398}}</ref>

Ballard and geophysicist [[Jean Francheteau]] went down in ''Alvin'' the day after the [[black smoker]]s were first observed. They were able to take an accurate temperature reading of the active vent (the previous dive's thermometer had melted) and recorded a temperature of {{convert|350|C|K F}}.<ref name=":1" />

They continued searching for more vents along the East Pacific Rise between 1980 and 1982.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

==Marine archaeology==
While Ballard had been interested in the sea since an early age, his work at [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute|Woods Hole]] and his [[scuba diving]] experiences off [[Massachusetts]] spurred his interest in shipwrecks and their exploration. His work in the Navy involved developing small, unmanned submersibles that could be tethered to and controlled from a surface ship and were outfitted with lighting, cameras, and manipulator arms. As early as 1973, he saw this as a way of searching for the wreck of the ''Titanic''. In 1977, he led his first expedition, which was unsuccessful.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

===RMS ''Titanic''===
[[File:Robert_Ballard_1999.jpg|thumb|Ballard in 1999 with a VHS copy of the film ''[[Titanic (1997)|Titanic]]'']]
In the summer of 1985, Ballard was aboard the French research ship ''[[RV Le Suroît|Le Suroît]]'', which was using the [[side scan sonar]] ''SAR'' to search for the ''Titanic''{{'s}} wreck. When the French ship was recalled, he transferred onto a ship from [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute|Woods Hole]], the [[RV Knorr|R/V ''Knorr'']]. Unbeknownst to some, this trip was financed by the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] for secret reconnaissance of the wreckage of two Navy [[nuclear submarine|nuclear powered]] [[attack submarine]]s, the [[USS Scorpion (SSN-589)|USS ''Scorpion'']] and the [[USS Thresher (SSN-593)|USS ''Thresher'']], which sank in the 1960s, and not for the ''Titanic''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/us/titanic-discovery-classified-nuclear-sub/index.html|title=Inside the secret US military mission that located the Titanic|last=Levenson|first=Eric|date=December 14, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2018|archive-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214063112/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/us/titanic-discovery-classified-nuclear-sub/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1982, Ballard had approached the Navy about his new deep sea underwater robot craft, the [[Argo (ROV)|''Argo'']], and his search for the ''Titanic''.<ref name="Navy">{{cite news |first=Lewis |last=Smith |title=Titanic search was cover for secret Cold War subs mission |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3994955.ece |work=[[The Times]] |date=May 24, 2008 |access-date=May 26, 2008 |location=London |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604054238/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3994955.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Navy, while not interested in funding Ballard's ''Titanic'' search on its own, ultimately concluded that ''Argo'' was their best chance to locate their missing submarines, and agreed to finance his expedition on the condition that he first investigated the two submarines, assessed the state of their nuclear reactors, and determined if their long submergence had cause any radioactive environmental impact.<ref name="Navy"/> He was placed on temporary active duty in the Navy, in charge of finding and investigating the wrecks, after which he would be free to use any remaining time and resources to hunt for the ''Titanic''.<ref name="Navy"/>

After their missions for the Navy, [[RV Knorr|''Knorr'']] arrived on site on August 22, 1985,<ref name="Discovery">{{cite web|url=http://www.titanic-titanic.com/discovery_of_titanic.shtml|title=Discovery Of Titanic|access-date=December 7, 2008|archive-date=May 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529080536/http://www.titanic-titanic.com/discovery_of_titanic.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and deployed [[Argo (submersible)|''Argo'']]. When they searched for the two submarines, Ballard and his team discovered they had imploded from the immense pressure at depth. It littered thousands of pieces of debris all over the ocean floor. Following the large trail of debris led them directly to the remnants of both vessels and made them significantly easier to locate than if they were to search for the hulls directly. He already knew that the ''Titanic'' imploded from pressure, much like the two submarines, and concluded that it too must have left a scattered debris trail. Using that lesson, they had ''Argo'' sweep back and forth across the ocean floor looking for the ''Titanic's'' debris trail.<ref name="Discovery"/> They took shifts monitoring the video feed from ''Argo'' as it searched the ocean floor two miles below.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In the early morning of September 1, 1985, observers noted anomalies on the smooth ocean floor. At first, it was pockmarks, like small craters from impacts. Eventually, debris was sighted as the rest of the team was awakened. Finally, a boiler was sighted, and soon after that, the hull was found.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ballard |first1=Robert D. |last2=Archbold |first2=Rick |date=October 1, 1999 |title=Return to Midway |page=27 |isbn=9780792275008}}</ref>

Ballard's team made a general search of the ''Titanic's'' exterior, noting its condition. Most significantly, they confirmed that it had split in two and that the stern was in far worse shape than the bow. They did not have much time to explore, as others were waiting to take ''Knorr'' on other scientific pursuits, but his fame was now assured. He originally planned to keep the location secret to prevent anyone from claiming prizes. He considered the site a cemetery and refused to desecrate it by removing artifacts.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

On July 12, 1986, Ballard and his team returned on board ''Atlantis II'' <ref name="Discovery"/> to make the first detailed study of the wreck. This time, he brought ''Alvin''. It was accompanied by ''Jason Junior'', a small remotely operated vehicle that could fit through small openings to see into the ship's interior. Although the first dive (taking over two hours) encountered technical problems, subsequent ones were far more successful and produced a detailed photographic record of the wreck's condition.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In 1988, Ballard published a book, ''Discovery Of The Titanic: Exploring The Greatest Of All Lost Ships'', {{ISBN|0-446-51385-7}} and he later recounted the specifics of the expedition for a ''National Geographic'' [[Secrets of the Titanic|video documentary released in 1987]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=Dawn McCarty |author2=Jef Feeley |author3=Chris Dixon| url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/titanic-nuclear-submarine-scorpion-thresher-ballard/|title=How Did the 'Unsinkable' Titanic End Up at the Bottom of the Ocean?|magazine=National Geographic|date=November 24, 2017|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106102453/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/titanic-nuclear-submarine-scorpion-thresher-ballard/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many of the relics retrieved by various groups, not including Ballard, from RMS ''Titanic'' were owned by [[Premier Exhibitions]] which filed for bankruptcy in 2016. In late August 2018, the groups vying for ownership of the 5,500 relics included one by museums in England and Northern Ireland with assistance from filmmaker [[James Cameron]] and some financial support from [[National Geographic]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=Dawn McCarty | author2=Jef Feeley | author3=Chris Dixon | title=James Cameron: Getting Titanic Artifacts to U.K. Would Be 'a Dream'|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-titanic-uk-belfast-bankruptcy-cameron/|magazine=National Geographic|date=July 24, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220610/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-titanic-uk-belfast-bankruptcy-cameron/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ballard told the news media that he favored this bid since it would ensure that the memorabilia would be permanently displayed in [[Belfast]] and in [[Greenwich]]. A decision as to the outcome was to be made by a [[United States district court]] judge.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Dawn McCarty | author2=Jef Feeley | author3=Chris Dixon|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/bankrupt-titanic-exhibitor-sets-biggest-sale-ever-of-ship-relics|title=Bankrupt Titanic exhibitor sets biggest sale of ship relics|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|publisher=Bloomberg|date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220606/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/bankrupt-titanic-exhibitor-sets-biggest-sale-ever-of-ship-relics|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Other wrecks===
====''Bismarck''====
Ballard undertook an even more daunting task when he and his team searched off the coast of France for the German Battleship ''[[German battleship Bismarck|Bismarck]]'' in 1989, using an ocean-crawling robot. The 15,000 foot deep water in which it sank<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/13/science/undersea-robots-open-a-new-age-of-exploration.html |title=Undersea Robots Open a New Age of Exploration |last=Broad |first=William J |date=1990 |website=New York Times |access-date=September 2, 2018 |archive-date=September 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220613/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/13/science/undersea-robots-open-a-new-age-of-exploration.html |url-status=live }}</ref> is 4,000 feet deeper than that where the ''Titanic'' sank. He attempted to determine whether it had been sunk by the British or was scuttled by its crew. Three weeks after the expedition however, personal tragedy struck him when his 21-year-old son, Todd, who had aided him in the search, was killed in a car accident.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/07/25/Son-of-explorer-another-man-killed-in-car-crash/3764319040352 |title=Son of explorer, another man killed in car crash |date=1989 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-date=October 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020205300/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/07/25/Son-of-explorer-another-man-killed-in-car-crash/3764319040352/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ballard later published a book about the quest, ''The Discovery of the Bismarck'' (1990)<ref>Ballard Robert D and Rick Archbold. 1990. ''The Discovery of the Bismarck.'' New York N.Y: Warner Books.</ref> The discovery was also documented for [[National Geographic]] in a 1989 [[James Cameron]] video ''Search for the Battleship Bismarck'' which indicated that the ship had been damaged by torpedoes and shells from British ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alibris.com/National-Geographic-Search-for-the-Battleship-Bismarck/movie/100034563 |title=National Geographic: Search for the Battleship Bismarck (1989) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=1990 |website=Alibris |access-date=September 2, 2018 |archive-date=September 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902183903/https://www.alibris.com/National-Geographic-Search-for-the-Battleship-Bismarck/movie/100034563 |url-status=live }}</ref> The actual cause of the sinking, however, was sabotage of the underwater valves by the onboard crew, according to Ballard, who said, "we found a hull that appears whole and relatively undamaged by the descent and impact". Filmmaker Cameron, however, said that his crew's examination of the wreckage indicated that the Bismarck would have sunk eventually even if it had not been scuttled.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HFQxDwAAQBAJ&q=Ballard+Bismarck+we+found+a+hull+that+appears+whole+and+relatively+undamaged+by+the+descent+and+impact&pg=PT16 |title=World War 2 In Review No. 9: Warships |date=August 1, 2017 |publisher=Merriam Press |isbn=978-1-387-10543-4 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206135216/https://books.google.com/books?id=HFQxDwAAQBAJ&q=Ballard+Bismarck+we+found+a+hull+that+appears+whole+and+relatively+undamaged+by+the+descent+and+impact&pg=PT16 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====''Lusitania''====
In 1993, Ballard investigated the wreck of [[RMS Lusitania|RMS ''Lusitania'']] off the Irish coast. It had been struck by a torpedo, whose explosion was followed by a second, much larger one. The wreck had been [[depth charge]]d by the [[Royal Navy]] several years after the sinking and had also been damaged by other explorers, making a forensic analysis difficult. He found no evidence of boiler explosion and he speculated the ignition of coal dust inside the ship caused a "massive, uncontrollable [second] explosion".<ref name="pbs_lusitania">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/lostliners/lusitania.html |title=Text excerpted from Lost Liners, courtesy of Madison Press Books |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=PBS |access-date=September 2, 2018 |quote=previous visitors had already tampered with the evidence...we found nothing to suggest the ship was sabotaged. |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830023648/http://www.pbs.org/lostliners/lusitania.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Others have questioned this hypothesis, some suggesting that the ship had been sabotaged by the British. Ballard found no evidence to support this claim.<ref name="pbs_lusitania"/> Some experts have indicated that it was, in fact, boiler explosions that caused the ship to sink so quickly, in a mere 18 minutes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Donald E |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EXbQoSUOP4AC&q=Lusitania+cause+of+sinking+ballard&pg=PA73 |title=The Folly of War: American Foreign Policy, 1898-2005 |date=May 31, 2005 |publisher=Algora |isbn=978-0-87586-382-5 |page=74 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206135152/https://books.google.com/books?id=EXbQoSUOP4AC&q=Lusitania+cause+of+sinking+ballard&pg=PA73 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ballard published a book about the discovery, ''Exploring the Lusitania: Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking that Changed History'', also titled ''Robert Ballard's Lusitania'' in some markets, with co-author Spencer Dunmore.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ballard |first=Robert D. |date=1995 |title=Exploring the Lusitania: probing the mysteries of the sinking that changed history |url=https://archive.org/details/exploringlusitan0000ball |url-access=registration |publication-place=New York |publisher=Warner Books |isbn=0-446-51851-4 |lccn=95002771}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ballard |first=Robert D. |date=2007 |title=Robert Ballard's Lusitania: probing the mysteries of the sinking that changed history |url=https://archive.org/details/robertballardslu0000ball |url-access=registration |publication-place=Edison, N.J. |publisher=Chartwell Books |isbn=978-0-7858-2207-3}}</ref>

====Battle of Guadalcanal====
In 1992, Ballard and his team visited the sites of many wrecks of [[World War II]] in the [[Pacific War|Pacific]]. Doing so, he discovered the wreck of the [[Japanese battleship Kirishima|IJN ''Kirishima'']].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.navweaps.com/index_lundgren/Kirishima_Damage_Analysis.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105140615/http://www.navweaps.com/index_lundgren/Kirishima_Damage_Analysis.pdf |archive-date=2015-11-05 | title=Kirishima Damage Analysis}}</ref> His book ''Lost Ships of [[Guadalcanal campaign|Guadalcanal]]'' locates and photographs many of the vessels sunk at [[Ironbottom Sound]], the strait between [[Guadalcanal Island]] and the [[Florida Islands|Floridas]] in the [[Solomon Islands]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

====USS ''Yorktown''====
On May 19, 1998, Ballard found the wreck of ''[[USS Yorktown (CV-5)|Yorktown]]'', sunk at the [[Battle of Midway]]. Found three miles (5&nbsp;km) beneath the surface, it was photographed.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ballard |first1=Robert D. |last2=Archbold |first2=Rick |date=October 1, 1999 |title=Return to Midway |pages=14, 151–155 |isbn=9780792275008}}</ref>

====''PT-109''====
In 2002, the [[National Geographic Society]] and Ballard fielded a ship with remote vehicles to the [[Solomon Islands]]. They succeeded in finding a torpedo tube and the forward section from the shipwreck of [[John F. Kennedy]]'s ''[[Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109|PT-109]]'' which was rammed in 1943 by the Japanese destroyer ''Amagiri'' off [[Ghizo Island]].<ref name="National Geographic">[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0709_020710_kennedyPT109.html "JFK's PT-109 Found, U.S. Navy Confirms"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819023530/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0709_020710_kennedyPT109.html |date=August 19, 2012 }}.</ref> The visit also brought to light the identity of islanders [[Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana]] who had received little recognition for finding the shipwrecked crew after searching for days in their [[dugout canoe]]. A TV special and a book were produced, and Ballard spoke at the [[John F. Kennedy Library]] in 2005.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

====''Isis''====
In 1989, Ballard discovered the wreck of the  [[Ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] ship ''[[Isis (ship)|Isis]]'' off the coast of [[Sicily]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Thomson de Grummond|first=Nancy |author-link= |date=2015 |title=Encyclopedia of the History of Classical Archaeology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UuE4CQAAQBAJ&dq=roman+ship+isis+shipwreck+discovery&pg=PT1043 |location= |publisher=Routledge |page= |isbn=978-1134268610}}</ref>

===Institute for Exploration===
In the 1990s Ballard founded the [[Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration|Institute for Exploration]], which specializes in deep-sea archaeology and geology. It joined forces in 1999 with the Mystic Aquarium in [[Mystic, Connecticut]]. They are a part of the non-profit Sea Research Foundation, Inc.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

===Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography===
In 2003, Ballard started the [[Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography]], a research program at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography.<ref name="URIInstitute">{{cite web|url=http://www.uri.edu/news/ballard/institute.htm|title=Institute for Archaeological Oceanography|date=June 1, 2004|publisher=University of Rhode Island|access-date=March 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626135358/http://www.uri.edu/news/ballard/institute.htm|archive-date=June 26, 2012}}</ref>

===Black Sea===
In 1976, [[Willard Bascom]] suggested that the deep, [[anoxic waters]] of the [[Black Sea]] might have preserved ships from antiquity because typical wood-devouring organisms could not survive there. At a depth of 150 m, it contains insufficient oxygen to support most familiar biological life forms.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Originally a land-locked freshwater lake, the Black Sea was flooded with salt water from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] during the [[Holocene]]. The influx of salt water essentially smothered the freshwater below it because a lack of internal motion and mixing meant that no fresh oxygen reached the deep waters,<ref>Oğuz, T., Latun, V.S., Latif, M.A., Vladimirov, V. L., Sur, H. I., Markov, A. A., Ozsoy, E. Kotovschichkov, B. B., Eremeev, V.N., and Unluata, U., 1993, Circulation in the surface and intermediate layers, ''Deep-Sea Research'' 1.40: 1597&ndash;612.</ref> creating a [[meromictic]] body of water. The anoxic environment, which is hostile to many biological organisms that destroy wood in the oxygenated waters, provides an excellent testing site for deep-water archaeological surveys.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In a series of expeditions, a team of marine archaeologists led by Ballard identified what appeared to be ancient shorelines, freshwater snail shells, and drowned river valleys in roughly 300 feet (100 m) of water off the Black Sea coast of modern [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/sep/14/internationalnews.archaeology|title=Evidence found of Noah's ark flood victims|last=Radford|first=Tim|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 14, 2000|access-date=August 21, 2022|archive-date=August 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821134355/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/sep/14/internationalnews.archaeology|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngnews/blacksea.html|title=Evidence of Human Habitation in the Black Sea @ nationalgeographic.com|publisher=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=August 21, 2022|archive-date=July 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706010122/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngnews/blacksea.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Radiocarbon]] dating of freshwater mollusk remains indicated an age of about 7,000 years.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The team discovered three ancient wrecks west of the town of [[Sinop, Turkey|Sinop]] at depths of 100 m. Wreck A and Wreck C probably date to the late Roman period (2nd–4th century A.D.), while Wreck B probably dates to the Byzantine period (5th to 7th century A.D.).{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

To the east of Sinop, the team discovered a remarkably well-preserved wreck at a 320 m depth, in the Black Sea's deep anoxic waters. The vessel's entire hull and cargo are intact, buried in sediments. Its deck structures are also intact, including a mast rising 11 m into the water column. Radiocarbon dating of wood from the wreck provides a date of 410–520 A.D. It has been named "Sinop D" by the Ballard team.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In 2000, the team conducted an expedition that focused on exploration of the seabed about 15–30&nbsp;km west of Sinop, and an additional deep-water survey east and north of the peninsula. Their project had several goals. They sought to discover whether human habitation sites could be identified on the ancient submerged landscape, they examined the sea-bed for shipwrecks (where they found Sinop A-D), to test the hypothesis that the anoxic waters below 200 m would protect shipwrecks from the expected biological attacks on organic components, and to seek data about an ancient trade route between Sinop and the [[Crimea]] indicated by terrestrial archaeological remains.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Although Sinop served as a primary trade center in the Black Sea, the wrecks were located west of the trade route predicted by the prevalence of Sinopian ceramics on the Crimean peninsula. On wrecks A-C, mounds of distinctive carrot-shaped shipping jars, called [[amphorae]], were found. They were of a style associated with Sinop and retained much of their original stacking pattern on the sea floor. The jars may have carried a variety of archetypal Black Sea products such as olive oil, honey, wine, or fish sauce. The contents are unknown because no artifacts were recovered from these wreck sites in 2000.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The wreck provided the team with vast information about the technological changes and trade in the Black Sea during political, social, and economic transition through their study of the ship's construction techniques. Studies show that in Sinop during the Byzantine era, they had developed long-distance trading as early as 4500 BC. Sea-trading on the Black Sea was most intense during the period of late antiquity, between the 2nd and 7th centuries AD.<ref>Hiebert, F., 2001, Black Sea coastal cultures: trade and interaction, ''Expedition'' 43: 11–20</ref> The examination of the four shipwrecks found by Ballard and his team provide the direct evidence for Black Sea maritime trade so well attested by the distribution of ceramics on land.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The video images of Shipwreck A show a wall of shipping jars standing about 2 m above the seabed. The amphorae highest on the mound had fallen over without displacing those still standing in the rows beneath them, and, likely, the ship settled upright on the seabed gradually being both buried in and filled with sediment as exposed wood was devoured by the larva or the [[shipworm]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Shipwreck B also consisted of a large pile of amphorae but several types are visible, as are multiple timbers protruding from within the mound and on it. In addition to the Sinop-style jars, several amphorae similar to examples excavated on the [[Yassiada]] Byzantine shipwreck and dating from the 5th to late 6th century AD are present.<ref>van Doorninck, F. H. Jr., 2002, Byzantine shipwrecks, in A. Laiou (ed.), ''The Economic History of Byzantium from the Seventh through the Fifteenth Century'' I, 899–905. Dumbarton Oaks Studies 30, Washington, DC.</ref>

Two discrete and mostly buried piles of carrot-shaped shipping jars comprise shipwreck C. The team's visit to the site was short and was intended primarily to test survey methodology for deep-water procedures.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Shipwreck D provided the team with an unprecedented opportunity to document hull construction during a time of transition. When observing the sonar signature of Shipwreck D, a long, slender upright feature on the seabed, transformed itself into a wooden mast. Elements rarely present on shallower shipwreck sites are beautifully preserved 200 m below the surface. Disappointingly for ship scholars and historians of technology, there are few indications of how the planks of Sinop D are held together. There are no [[mortise and tenon]] fastenings and no sewing. Shipwreck D may be one of the earliest [[lateen]]-rigged ships to be studied by archaeologists. The angle of the mast and the lack of fittings on it suggest that a lateen sail is the most likely configuration for such a small vessel.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The Institute for Exploration Black Sea expeditions relied on remote sensing with side-scan sonar in shallow and deep water to identify potential archaeological sites examined by [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle|ROV]]s. The hypothesis that the anoxic waters of the Black Sea would allow extraordinary organic preservation is borne out by the discovery of Sinop D, the 1,500-year-old shipwreck with excellent preservation of features above the sediment layer.<ref>Ballard, Robert D., and Ward, Cheryl, 2004, Deep-water Archaeological Survey in the Black Sea; 2000 Season, ''The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology'', 33.1: 2–13, ([http://www.coastal.edu/archaeology/cward/Ward%20publication%20files/Ward%20and%20Ballard%202004%20IJNA.pdf online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522033235/http://www.coastal.edu/archaeology/cward/Ward%20publication%20files/Ward%20and%20Ballard%202004%20IJNA.pdf |date=May 22, 2013 }}).</ref>

According to a report in ''[[New Scientist]]'' magazine (May 4, 2002, p.&nbsp;13), the researchers found an underwater delta south of the [[Bosporus]]. There was evidence of a strong flow of fresh water out of the Black Sea in the [[8th millennium BC]]. Ballard's research has contributed to the debate over the [[Black Sea deluge theory]].{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

==Awards and honors==
* In 1988, he was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Science) by the [[University of Bath]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/ceremonies/hongrads/ |title=Honorary Graduates 1989 to present |publisher=[[University of Bath]] |work=bath.ac.uk |access-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-date=December 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219000643/http://www.bath.ac.uk/ceremonies/hongrads/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In 1990, he received the [[American Academy of Achievement]]'s Golden Plate Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Robert D. Ballard, Ph.D. Biography and Interview|website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/robert-d-ballard-ph-d/#biography|access-date=April 8, 2019|archive-date=January 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115044210/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/robert-d-ballard-ph-d#biography|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Kilby International Awards]] recipient in 1994<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kilby.org/kl_past_laureates.html|title=The Kilby International Awards Foundation|website=www.kilby.org|access-date=August 31, 2009|archive-date=May 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514102456/http://www.kilby.org/kl_past_laureates.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In 1995, he was awarded with the Explorers Club Medal of [[The Explorers Club]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.explorers.org/about/history/the_explorers_club_medal|title=The Explorers Club Medal|website=www.explorers.org|access-date=May 26, 2020|archive-date=June 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616041945/https://www.explorers.org/about/history/the_explorers_club_medal|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* In 1996 the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation awarded Ballard its Lone Sailor Award for his naval service and his work on underwater archaeology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.navymemorial.org/honorees|title=Lone Sailor Award Recipients|website=navymemorial.org|publisher=United States Navy Memorial|access-date=January 24, 2025}}</ref>
* In 2000 he was awarded the [[James H. Shea Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jim Shea Award |url=https://nagt.org/nagt/awards/shea.html |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Awards |language=en}}</ref>
* The [[Caird Medal]] of the [[National Maritime Museum]] in 2002{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}} 
* Asteroid [[11277 Ballard]], discovered by [[Carolyn Shoemaker|Carolyn]] and [[Eugene Shoemaker]] at [[Palomar Observatory]], was named in his honor in 2002.<ref name="Asteroid-Ballard">{{cite web   |title      = 11277 Ballard (1988 TW2)   |work      = Minor Planet Center   |url      = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=11277   |access-date      = September 25, 2018   |archive-date      = March 8, 2021   |archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20210308103534/https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=11277   |url-status      = live   }}</ref>
* The [[National Humanities Medal]] for 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Ballard, Ph.D. |url=https://www.neh.gov/about/awards/national-humanities-medals/robert-ballard-phd |website=NEH.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Humanities |access-date=January 24, 2025}}</ref>

==Other works==
===Academics===
In 2004, Ballard was appointed professor of [[oceanography]], and currently serves as Director of the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography, at the [[University of Rhode Island]]'s Graduate School of Oceanography. He was the first speaker to give the [[Marie Poland Fish|Charles and Marie Fish Lecture in Oceanography]] at the University of Rhode Island in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Charles and Marie Fish Lecture in Oceanography|url=https://web.uri.edu/gso/the-charles-and-marie-fish-lecture-in-oceanography/|website=The Charles and Marie Fish Lecture in Oceanography|publisher=University of Rhode Island|access-date=April 22, 2018|archive-date=February 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206135153/https://web.uri.edu/gso/outreach/charles-and-marie-fish-lecture-series/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Television===
Ballard served as the technical consultant on the science fiction series ''[[seaQuest DSV]]'' during its first season from September 1993 until May 1994. During the closing credits, he would speak about the scientific elements present in any given episode and place them in a contemporary context. Although he exited the series in the second season, he was referenced in the third season, with the "Ballard Institute" being named after him.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

===Education===
In 1989, Ballard founded the [[JASON Project]], a [[distance education]] program designed to excite and engage middle school students in science and technology. He began the JASON Project in response to the thousands of letters he received from students following his discovery of the wreck of the ''Titanic''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The JASON Project - History |work=jason.org |url=http://www.jason.org/Public/AboutUS/History.aspx?pos=6 |access-date=August 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917041819/http://www.jason.org/Public/AboutUS/History.aspx?pos=6 |archive-date=September 17, 2008 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ballard married Marjorie Jacobsen in 1966 and divorced in 1990. He remarried in 1991 to Barbara Earle. Ballard has three sons and one daughter.<ref name="into_the_deep">{{cite book |last1=Ballard |first1=Robert |title=Into the Deep|location=Washington, D.C. |date=2021 |publisher=National Geographic |isbn=978-1-4262-2099-9}}</ref>{{rp|200}}

==See also==
*
* {{annotated link|Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography}}
* {{annotated link|German battleship Bismarck#Discovery by Robert Ballard|German battleship ''Bismarck''}}
* {{annotated link|JASON Project}}
* {{annotated link|Mystic Aquarium}}
* {{annotated link|USS Yorktown (CV-5)|USS ''Yorktown''}}
* {{annotated link|Wreck of the Titanic|Wreck of the RMS ''Titanic''}}

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

==Further reading==
* R. D. Ballard, F, T. Hiebert, D. F. Coleman, C. Ward, J. Smith, K. Willis, B. Foley, K. Croff, C. Major, and F. Torre, "Deepwater Archaeology of the Black Sea: The 2000 Season at Sinop, Turkey" ''American Journal of Archaeology'' Vol. 105 No. 4 (October 2001).

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080522092958/http://www.gso.uri.edu/users/ballard Robert Ballard]'s faculty page at the [http://www.gso.uri.edu/ Graduate School of Oceanography] at the [http://www.uri.edu University of Rhode Island].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080505221815/http://www.mysticaquarium.org/DefaultPermissions/INSTITUTEFOREXPLORATION/tabid/274/Default.aspx  Institute for Exploration] at the [http://www.mysticaquarium.org/ Mystic Aquarium].
* [http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/05ballard/welcome.html NOAA, Ocean Explorer OceanAGE Careers] -  Video profiles, biographies, and background materials related to Oceanexplorer
* {{TED speaker}}
** TED Talk: [https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_ballard_the_astonishing_hidden_world_of_the_deep_ocean The astonishing hidden world of the deep ocean] (TED2008)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110104040456/http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/discovering-titanic.html National Geographic Photo Gallery: Discovering the ''Titanic'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091650/http://www.gso.uri.edu/profile/rballard/ University of Rhode Island Inner Space Center]
* [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bob-ballard-the-great-explorer-25-11-2009/ Bob Ballard, The Great Explorer], [[Laura Logan]]'s story on ''[[60 Minutes]]'' broadcast on November 29, 2009

{{PT-109}}
{{RMS Titanic}}
{{Underwater diving|unddiv}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballard, Robert}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:American oceanographers]]
[[Category:American underwater divers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Maritime archaeology]]
[[Category:National Humanities Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Military personnel from San Diego]]
[[Category:Academics from San Diego]]
[[Category:RMS Titanic]]
[[Category:Sigma Alpha Epsilon members]]
[[Category:Underwater archaeologists]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni]]
[[Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni]]
[[Category:University of Rhode Island alumni]]
[[Category:University of Rhode Island faculty]]
[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]]
[[Category:Recipient of the Caird Medal]]