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undersea canyons:
James Alden discovers the first known submarine valley, California's Monterey Canyon. (navigation) -
Marine Research and Oceanography:
H.M.S. Challenger circles the globe conducting research for the Royal Society of London, laying the groundwork for modern oceanography. (scientific research) -
Deepest Ocean Point Found:
The British ship HMS Challenger bounces sound waves off the ocean bottom and locates what appears to be the sea's deepest point. With a depth of 35,856 feet (10,929 meters), it is named the Challenger Deep. Located off the coast of the Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the site is known today as the Mariana Trench. This trench is so deep that if you could put Mount Everest on the ocean floor, its summit would lie about a mile below the ocean surface.(navigation) -
The First Oceanographic Research Vessel:
The U.S. Fisheries Commission steamer Albatross begins operations as the first ship built to serve as an oceanographic research vessel. (scientific research) -
The Sinking of the Titanic:
The Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg, killing 1,500 people. The tragedy led to efforts to develop an acoustic device to find objects ahead of a vessel. (navigation) -
First Acoustic Exploration of the Seas:
Reginald Fessenden uses an oscillator to bounce a signal simultaneously off an iceberg and the seafloor, the first acoustic exploration of the seas. (navigation) -
Bathythermograph Invented:
Spilhaus had developed the fully functioning instrument called the bathythermograph. It was a small torpedo-like shape. Its purpose was to detect changes in water temperature versus depth down to a depth of approximately 935 feet (285 meters). The inventions name is still used today. (navigation) -
Live Coelacanth Discovered
Fisher men off the coast of south africa pulled up a five-foot fish later identified as a coelacanth. This fish is a true living fossil thought to be extinct since the days of the dinosaurs. Since this discovery was made, several other live coelacanth have been discovered in African coastal waters and some have been photographed in their underwater habitat. (scientific research) -
The Aqua-Lung:
Underwater explorers Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan develop the first modern scuba system. They modify a breathing regulator to create the Aqua-Lung. This ground breaking invention allows divers to stay underwater for extended periods and more effectively explore the ocean realm. This single event revolutionizes the science of underwater exploration. (navigation) -
First Untethered Deep Water Craft:
Swiss physicist Auguste Piccard dives in his newly designed vehicle called a bathyscaphe. Known as FRNS-2, it is the first untethered craft to carry people into the deep waters of the ocean. It sets several world diving records, beating those of the bathyspheres, since no unwieldy cable is required for diving.(navigation)