The Challenger Expedition: Exploring the Ocean's Depths

The Challenger Expedition: Exploring the Ocean's Depths is the story of the groundbreaking scientific ocean study by HMS Challenger in 1872 that transformed our understanding of the deep sea. Published to mark the 150th anniversary of its launch.

Author: Dr Erika Jones

On 21 December 1872, HMS Challenger set sail from Portsmouth, England, to begin a global voyage of deep-sea exploration, unique for the scale of its ambition and scope. Made possible by technological and scientific developments, extensive international cooperation and supported by a team of researchers and naval officers, the expedition was part of a concerted nineteenth-century drive to map the ocean floors and search for life in the abyss.

By the time the ship returned to Britain in 1876, the scientific team on board had amassed what was then the largest collection of examples of life from the deep sea. But their work was not finished and over the next two decades a global network of researchers prepared the results for publication, culminating in a 50-volume series that is considered the intellectual foundation of modern oceanography.

• 224 pages

About the author

Dr Erika Jones, Curator of Navigation at Royal Museums Greenwich, reveals the fascinating stories of the often hidden efforts and collaborations at the heart of HMS Challenger’s landmark endeavour, the legacy of which shaped the development of ocean science for years to come.

‘Jones offers a compelling portrait of the Challenger as an innovative investigation of the ocean environment.’
‘a richly illustrated and meticulously researched archival study of the records of the HMS Challenger’
‘Compelling contemporary photographs from the archives of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, animate these spaces with images capturing life aboard the Challenger.’

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