Mystic Aquarium

MYSTIC, Conn. – Explore the oceans, the last great uncharted territory, with the man who discovered the R.M.S. Titanic, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and Institute for Exploration President Dr. Robert Ballard. The event, on May 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Garde Arts Center, is part of the new “Faces of Our Planet” series, created by Sea Research Foundation, National Geographic Live and the Garde Arts Center to reveal the mysteries and discoveries of the world’s human, animal and geographic faces.

The five-part series consists of film, multimedia presentations by world explorers and live performance – all at the nationally-recognized Garde Arts Center at 325 State St., New London. Dr. Ballard’s presentation, titled “Adventures in Deep-Sea Exploration”, marks the last event in the successful series.

Through incredible footage, Dr. Ballard will share entertaining stories of his discoveries during more than 150 deep-sea expeditions. In addition to the Titanic, Dr. Ballard has found the German battleship Bismarck, hydrothermal vents along the mid-Atlantic Ridge, two ancient Phoenician ships off Israel – the oldest shipwrecks ever found in deep water – and four 1,500-year-old wooden ships in the Black Sea, among many others. Many of these discoveries are featured in the “Challenge of the Deep” exhibition at Mystic Aquarium – the world’s only exhibits on Dr. Ballard’s deep-sea exploration – and in programs filmed and produced by National Geographic for the National Geographic Channel.

The deep-sea pioneer will also discuss his upcoming expedition into underexplored areas of the world, his groundbreaking new ship of exploration, the E/V Nautilus, and his vision of how technology can continue to advance the frontiers of exploration and provide unparalleled exploration experiences for students.

With his new Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus, Dr. Ballard has made virtual ocean exploration possible by providing 24-hour connectivity to ships of exploration via satellite and Internet2. Dr. Ballard will reveal how students and the public will soon be able to step aboard the ship without leaving their classrooms or homes.

After the program, suitable for ages 12 and up, Dr. Ballard will sign copies of his books. For more details on this event and the entire series, click here.

Cost: $24, Mystic Aquarium members - $20. For a complete list of ticket options, including discount packages, visit the Garde Arts Center Box Office at 325 State St., New London, or call (860) 444-7373 ext.1. Single tickets are available at the Garde Arts Center Box Office and online at gardearts.org. Special pricing is available for students, groups and Mystic Aquarium members.  

About Sea Research Foundation, Inc.
Mystic Aquarium, Institute for Exploration and Immersion Learning are divisions of Sea Research Foundation, Inc., a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The mission of Sea Research is to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through education, research and exploration.

About Garde Arts Center
Founded in 1985, the Garde Arts Center was created to save and transform the historic Garde theatre into a non-profit regional center for the performing arts and education in the heart of downtown New London, serving greater Southeastern Connecticut, a region rich in geographic, economic, ethnic and cultural diversity. The Garde owns and operates the recently restored 1,450-seat Garde Theatre, a historic movie/vaudeville house built in 1926 and the new 130-seat Oasis Room.  

About National Geographic Live
National Geographic Live is the live events division of the National Geographic Society, featuring live concerts, films, and dynamic presentations by today's leading explorers, scientists, filmmakers, and photographers covering a wide range of topics including: exploration and adventure; wildlife and habitat conservation; natural phenomena; and relevant issues such as climate change. Proceeds from speaker series ticket sales help fund future National Geographic initiatives in field research, exploration, and education. For more information visit www.nglive.org.