History
Systematic ocean exploration
in the United States began in 1807 when Thomas Jefferson authorized
the Survey of the Coast, NOAA's earliest predecessor. Since then, NOAA
and its ancestors have played a critical role in the evolution of ocean
exploration in the United States and the world.
These pages offer a
comprehensive look at NOAA's 200-year history of ocean exploration
through a series of chronological essays. Also included is a rich
selection of historical quotations, arranged thematically, that capture
the many advances, challenges, and misunderstandings through the years
as both early and modern explorers struggled to study the mysterious ocean
realm.
In these pages, we trace NOAA's history of ocean exploration and that
of its forerunners to the present day. Through the 19th Century, NOAA's
ancestor agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, were the principal
ocean explorers for the United States government. Today, NOAA's exploration
activities have been richly complemented by explorers and scientists
from the academic community, other federal agencies, state governments,
and the private sector.
"Quotes for Ocean Explorers" is a small collection of quotations
that is meant to help: 1) track the history of the exploration of the sea;
2) capture the thought processes and emotions that have motivated ocean
explorers; 3) express the ideas behind the invention and continuing improvement
of ocean exploration instruments; and 4) relate the excitement and joy of
discovery that have accompanied ocean explorers since the first time that
humankind has peered into the depths or devised ways to observe and measure
oceanic phenomena.
The Readings for Ocean Explorers Collection is a digital library of complete documents and excerpts from letters, autobiographies, federal government reports, science articles, and reminiscences illustrating the history, science, and extraordinary personal stories of those involved in the exploration of the oceans.
The NOAA Central Library houses a special archive of more than 5,000 rare historical books. Many of these date to the 18th and 19th Centuries, and some are even earlier. This collection includes works from the archive that have special significance to the historical record of ocean exploration.