David Gallo is an American oceanographer and explorer. For nearly 30 years he was Director of Special Projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – a preeminent, globally recognized scientific laboratory. Recently retired and independent he remains 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 nearly 13 million views his TED presentation “Underwater Astonishments” has been among the all-time top TED Talks.

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. He also co-led the successful U.S. effort to locate and map the wreck site of Air France flight 447. He is currently involved in planning a series of expeditions involving state-of-the-art undersea imaging and visualization.