1.3 History of Ocean Exploration
From Ancient Mariners to Modern Science
Humanity's relationship with the ocean spans millennia, from early Polynesian navigators crossing the Pacific to today's satellite-guided research vessels and autonomous underwater vehicles.
Timeline of Ocean Exploration
Ancient (3000 BCE - 500 CE)
Phoenician, Greek, Polynesian navigation. First maps of Mediterranean.
Age of Discovery (1400-1700)
Columbus, Magellan, Cook. Circumnavigation. Global trade routes.
Scientific Era (1800s)
HMS Challenger expedition (1872-1876). First deep-sea samples. Birth of oceanography.
Modern Era (1900-1960)
Sonar development. Echo sounding. Discovery of mid-ocean ridges.
Space Age (1960-2000)
Submersibles (Trieste, Alvin). Satellite oceanography. Plate tectonics confirmed.
Digital Era (2000-present)
Argo floats, AUVs, ROVs. Real-time global monitoring. Ocean genomics.
Landmark Expeditions
HMS Challenger (1872-1876)
First global oceanographic expedition. 68,890 nautical miles. Discovered 4,700 new species. Measured ocean depths. Founded modern oceanography.
Bathyscaphe Trieste (1960)
Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh reached Challenger Deep (10,916 m). First humans to visit deepest point.
JOIDES Resolution (1985-present)
Ocean drilling program. Cores reveal Earth's climate history and confirm plate tectonics.
Pioneers of Oceanography
Matthew Maury (1806-1873)
"Father of Oceanography" - First systematic study of winds and currents.
Charles Wyville Thomson (1830-1882)
Led HMS Challenger expedition. Proved life exists at great depths.
Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930)
Arctic explorer. Developed Nansen bottle for water sampling.
Marie Tharp (1920-2006)
Mapped ocean floor. Discovered Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley.