DAVE GALLO
David Gallo is an American oceanographer and Director
of Special Projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution—a preeminent, globally recognized scientific
laboratory. For more than 25 years, Dr. Gallo has been at the
forefront of ocean exploration, participating in and being
witness to the development of new technologies and scientific
discoveries that shape our view of planet earth. He has been
described by TED Conferences as “an enthusiastic ambassador
between the sea and those of us on dry land.” With more than
8 million views his TED presentation “Underwater
Astonishments” is among the top 5 TED Talks viewed to date. David has participated in expeditions to all of
the world’s oceans and was one of the first scientists to
use a combination of robots and submarines to explore
the deep seafloor. 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 remains of Air France flight 447.
Dr. Gallo is currently active in planning a series of
challenging expeditions and is encouraging the development of new technologies for ocean exploration. He is a member of James Cameron’s Deep Ocean Task Force and the
XPrize Ocean Advisory Board. Almost every expedition
into the deep provides results that are often surprising, sometimes startling and in many cases revolutionary.
David is becoming increasingly outspoken about the relationship between humanity and the sea. He feels strongly that instead of taking the oceans for granted we need to recognize the oceans critical role in providing the air we breath, the water we drink, and the food we eat. At the same time, Dr. Gallo feels that human activity has impacted the ocean on a global scale and with significant consequences. The oceans hold the clues to our past and the key to our future yet they remain mostly unexplored and poorly understood.
Dr. Gallo is personally committed to conveying the excitement and importance of ocean exploration to the
public-at-large. He has lectured internationally to audiences ranging from children to CEO’s with the goal of awakening the little bit of Jacques Cousteau and Jules Vernes that resides in each of us. He has given more than 10 TED and TEDx presentations and has appeared in numerous documentaries (Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic) and has been featured on numerous televised news programs (Weather Channel , PBS Need to Know, MSNBC Ed Show, and NBC Today show).
In recognition of his efforts in exploration and science communications, David was recently elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a National Fellow of the Explorer’s Club, a member of the American Geophysical Union, and active on several boards including the Marine Environmental Research Institute, the One World One Ocean Campaign, and the Terramar Project.
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