An oceanographer for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Sharon Walker spends her time surveying the ocean floor and sampling the water column to identify sites of submarine volcanic activity and deep sea vents. By locating these vent sites, we can learn more about our earth’s crust, ocean circulation, and deep sea ecosystems.
Director of maritime heritage for the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Program, James Delgado has explored numerous shipwrecks.
Shirley Pomponi, director of NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology, thrives on exploration and being at sea. She has made more than 300 dives in submersibles.