Dr. Robert "Bob" Ballard is the
founder and
head of the
Institute for Exploration, which specializes in
deep ocean archaeology. The Institute is based out of
Mystic, Connecticut.
Dr. Ballard is best known as leading the expeditions that discovered the remains of the R.M.S. Titanic as well the battleship Bismark. He was also discovered the 11 ships lost in the battle of Guadalcanal and the liner Lusitania. He is also known to have first discovered the high temperature "black smokers."
He has been an staunch supporter of leaving the remains of sunken ships undisturbed, having spoken out about the plundering of the wreck of the Titanic.
Dr. Ballard also gained some public exposure by doing a little 30 second wrap up at the end of each episode of Seaquest DSV. Each usually had something to do with the science behind the episode.