David Gallo works to push the bounds of oceanic discovery. Active in undersea exploration (sometimes in partnership with legendary Titanic-hunter Robert Ballard), he was one of the first oceanographers to use a combination of manned submersibles and robots to map the ocean world with unprecedented clarity and detail. He was a co-expedition leader during an exploration of the RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck, using Russian Mir subs.

On behalf of the Woods Hole labs, he appears around the country speaking on ocean and water issues. Most recently he co-led an expedition to create the first detailed and comprehensive map of the RMS Titanic and he co-led the successful international effort to locate the wreck site of Air France flight 447. He is involved in planning an international Antarctic expedition to locate and document the wreckage of Ernest Shackleton’s ship, HMS Endurance.