What did the Challenger expedition discover about the ocean?
A single Victorian-era sailing ship voyage laid the foundation for everything we know about the deep ocean.
The answer
HMS Challenger circumnavigated the globe between 1872 and 1876 on what is widely regarded as the first true oceanographic expedition. Over nearly four years and 130,000 kilometers, the crew made 362 ocean-depth soundings, discovered over 4,700 new species, and confirmed the existence of the mid-ocean ridge system. The expedition discovered the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (later named after the ship) and established that life existed at all ocean depths, overturning the prevailing 'azoic theory' that the deep sea was lifeless. The expedition's 50-volume report, published over 23 years, established oceanography as a distinct scientific discipline.
Source: Natural History Museum London
- Challenger expedition
- oceanography history
- HMS Challenger
More from Ocean & Deep Sea
- How much of the ocean has actually been explored?
- What are hydrothermal vents and how do they support life?
- How do whales communicate across entire ocean basins?
- What are brine pools on the ocean floor?
- What is at the very bottom of the Mariana Trench?
- How do ocean currents regulate global climate?