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Scripps Institute
Scripps Institution of Oceanography becomes affiliated with the University of California. Scripps is one of the world's leading marine research centers and is located in La Jolla, California, just north of San Diego. -
Titanic Sinks
The White Star Liner Titanic sinks after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. Over 1500 passengers lose their lives during one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history. This tragedy leads to a concerted effort to devise an acoustic means of discovering objects in the water ahead of a moving vessel. -
First Acoustic Exploration of the Sea Floor
Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden uses an oscillator to bounce sound waves between an iceberg and the sea floor. This test marks the beginning of acoustic exploration of the sea. The technology will eventually lead to the development of sonar, allowing submarines to signal each other and allowing ships to detect icebergs. -
Mapping the Ocean Floor
The German vessel Meteor sails around the Atlantic Ocean taking detailed measurements of the ocean floor using echosounding equipment. These voyages reveal new information about the shape and structure of the ocean floor. -
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is founded. Woods Hole would become one of the world's leading oceanographic research institutions. -
First Deep Ocean Dive
William Beebe and Otis Barton embark on a deep sea expedition in a tethered sphere known as a bathysphere. They reach a depth of a 3,000 feet (914 meters) off the coast of Bermuda and discover a previously unseen world of bizarre, luminescent creatures. -
Sonobuoy Developed
Researchers at the Coast and Geodetic Survey invent an automatic telemetering radio sonobuoy. This instrument eliminates the need for manned station ships during Radio Acoustic Ranging (RAR) navigation operations. This instrument is considered to be the first offshore moored telemetering instrument.
