David Gallo

David Gallo knows the depths of the ocean from his own observations. He's been on dozens of expeditions with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Like no other, Gallo can enthusiastically narrate about these experiences and this is exactly his job at the institute.

His grades in high school predicted that a career in science was not an option for David Gallo. And so, he became a shoe salesman. Until one day in 1976 when a National Geographic article about ocean research, by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, changed Gallo’s life. He went and took night classes and eleven years, a bachelor, a Masters and a Doctorate degree later, he was invited by this same Dr. Ballard to come and work for the Woods Hole Institute. This institute, situated on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is the largest, totally independent laboratory for oceanographic research in the world.