Unlocking the Ocean: Robotics, Climate Science, and the Future with Eric Stackpole

Have you ever dreamed of exploring the deep sea, uncovering lost treasures, or even launching your own robot into the unknown? Today, Zach and Clare dive into the world of underwater exploration with Eric Stackpole, an engineer, inventor, and deep-sea explorer who has spent his career building tools to help us see the world in new ways.

From a childhood spent exploring caves to designing satellites at NASA, Eric’s path led him to create OpenROV, a company that started as a DIY project to search for sunken treasure and turned into a global movement for ocean discovery. Now, as part of SoFar Ocean Technologies, Eric is working to turn the entire ocean into a real-time data network, using thousands of sensors to track waves, wind, and climate patterns.

In this episode, Eric shares how curiosity drives innovation, the thrill of launching robotic submarines into unexplored waters, and why the future of ocean science depends on making technology accessible to everyone. Whether it’s piloting a robot under Antarctic ice, dropping sensors into hurricanes, or collaborating with James Cameron on deep-sea exploration, Eric’s adventures show that the best explorers don’t wait for permission—they build, tinker, and dive in.

Episode Highlights:

• How a DIY underwater robot launched a global movement (06:42)
• The role of OpenROV in citizen science (10:15)
• Why ocean exploration matters for climate science (13:55)
• How SoFar Ocean is turning the ocean into a data network (18:30)
• The future of underwater technology and deep-sea discovery (22:45)
• How kids can get involved in ocean exploration (27:15)
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