Underwater Discovery

Underwater volcano
William Chadwick Jr. and a team from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration were the fist to video tape an erupting underwater volcano NOAA Photo Library

Legend has it that the Greek mathematician Archimedes ran naked in the streets shouting "Eureka!" when, in his bath, he came up with a way to measure the purity of gold. While most modern scientists keep their clothes on, their enthusiasm for discovery remains unabated. "It's exploding like an egg!" exclaims William Chadwick Jr. of Oregon State University as he watches the first-ever video of an erupting underwater volcano, NW Rota-1. Chadwick, along with a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (co-sponsors of the new Ocean Hall), used a remote camera to record this 2006 event.

Click the link to the right to hear Chadwick's eureka moment and see the video that inspired it.

Walrus in Cape Lee, Edge Island Ralph Lee Hopkins
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Jellyfish in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia Yeang Ch’ng
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Humpback Whale in the Silver Bank Marine Mammal Sanctuary, Dominican Republic Wyland
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Moon Jellyfish off Boston Harbor, Boston, Mass. Wayne J. Dudley
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Boulders on Beach in Island Hoy, Orkney Islands, Scotland Verena and Georg Popp
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Sea Otter in Prince William Sound, Alaska Tom and Pat Leeson
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Harbor Seal in LeConte Glacier, Alaska Tom and Pat Leeson
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Spine-cheek Anemonefish in Raja Ampat, Indonesia Todd Mintz
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Florida Manatees in Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Fla. Todd Essick
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Wailau Beach rainbow near North Shore Molokai, Hawaii Jon Cornforth
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Ocean Views, a photography exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History spotlights the ocean’s vast wildlife and environment. Nature’s Best Photography and the museum invited photographers of all skill levels to submit their photos of the sea. Over 10,000 photos were submitted and Ocean Views showcases the very best. The exhibit complements the museum’s Ocean Hall, opening September 27, 2008... Hawksbill Turtle off the coast of French Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands Christopher Guglielmo
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Western Clown Anemonefish in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia Takako Uno
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John Hopkins Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska Jon Cornforth
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Orca Whales off Vancouver Island, British Columbia Ralph Lee Hopkins
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California Sea Lion in Monterey Bay, California Kevin Schafer
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Tripletail Wrasse in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia Keri Wilk
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Iceberg in fog off Quirpon Island, Newfoundland John Sylvester
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Sperm Whale off Pico Island, Azores, Portugal Franco Banfi
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Goliath Grouper and Cigar Minnows offshore Jupiter, Fla. Douglas David Seifert
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Gentoo Penguins in Neko Harbour, Antarctica Cynthia Walpole
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