Most of the southern hemisphere is unexplored. We had more exploration ships down there during Captain Cook's time than now. It's amazing.

The deep sea is the largest museum on earth, it contains more history than all the museums on land combined, and yet we're only now penetrating it.

NASA's annual budget for space exploration could fund NOAA's budget for ocean exploration for 1600 years.

I prefer sayings over jokes.

My family came in 1635 from England and settled in Williamsburg. Shortly after, they split up; half went to New England and half stayed in Virginia. I'm a Virginian Ballard.

I mean, there is amazing amount of oil and gas and other resources out beneath the sea. It's staggering.

I mean, technology is amoral. It has no morality.