Captain Don Walsh, USN (Ret), PhD, was well known in oceanographic circles as one half of the team (partnered with Jacques Piccard) that descended 35,840 feet down at Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the U.S. Navy's bathyscaph Trieste in 1960. While there was significantly more to his life, the remarkable Trieste story is still told as one of the greatest oceanographic achievements. "The Trieste experience was a life-changing event," Don said. "One that opened many doors and firmly established my lifelong attitude about opportunity - to seize it when and wherever it was encountered." 

MTS REFLECTS ON A YEAR OF INNOVATION AND GROWTH IN 2023

As we approach the end of another eventful year, I am thrilled to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable growth and successes that have shaped MTS in 2023. One of the most significant accomplishments has been the successful integration of the MATE ROV Competition into our diverse lineup of programs. This strategic move has not only expanded our outreach but has also fostered a new dimension of innovation and learning within the field of marine technology. It also expands our community deep into the next generation of technical professionals. We are now shaping future generations of marine technologists while supporting those already in the field.

Dr. Peter Girguis

Dr Peter Girguis, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and Adjunct Oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, described by his peers as ‘the epitome of a deep-sea explorer’ and ‘a man for all ocean seasons”, has been announced the winner of the 2023 Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration by the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT).