Team
Katy Croff Bell headshot photo

Katy Croff Bell

Science/Data Team
Former Vice President
Ocean Exploration Trust

Dr. Katy Croff Bell is an ocean explorer, using deep sea technology to explore what lies at the depths of the ocean. For more than fifteen years, she has participated in or led more than 30 oceanographic and archaeological projects. 

Katy received her S.B. from MIT in Ocean Engineering in 2000. In 2001, she was a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, after which she completed her Master's degree in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton. Katy completed her Ph.D. in Geological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography in 2011. She is a 2006 National Geographic Emerging Explorer and 2014 MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow. 

Selected Publications

2025

Bell, KLC, Johannes, KN, Kennedy, BRC, Poulton, SE (2025). How little we’ve seen: a visual coverage estimate of the deep seafloor. Science Advances https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp8602

2023

Rotjan, R.D., Bell KLC, Huber JA, Wheat CG, Fisher AT, Sylvan RL, McManus J, Bigham KT, Cambronero-Solano S, Cordier T, Goode S, Leonard J, Murdock S, Paula FS, Ponsoni L, Roa-Varón A, Seabrook S, Shomberg R, Van Audenhaege L, Orcutt BN (2023). COBRA Master Class: providing deep-sea expedition leadership training to accelerate early career advancement. Frontiers in Marine Science 10: 1223197. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.122…

2022

Bell, KLC., Chow JS, Hope A, Quinzin MC, Cantner KA, Amon DJ, Cramp JE, Rotjan RD, Kamalu L, de Vos A, Talma S, Buglass S, Wade V, Filander Z, Noyes K, Lynch M, Knight A, Lourenço N, Girguis PR, de Sousa JB, Blake C, Kennedy BRC, Noyes TJ and McClain CR (2022). Low-Cost, Deep-Sea Imaging and Analysis Tools for Deep-Sea Exploration: A Collaborative Design Study. Frontiers of Marine Science 9: 873700.

2018

Brennan, M., Cantelas, F., Elliott, K., Delgado, J., Croff Bell, K., Coleman, D., Fundis, A., Irion, J., Van Tilburg, H., Ballard, R. (2018). Telepresence-Enabled Maritime Archaeological Exploration in the Deep. Journal of Maritime Archaeology 13(2): 97-121.

2015

Vieira, R., Palma, I., Sobral, P., Goncalves, J., Croff Bell, K., Cunha, M. (2015). Lost fishing gear and litter in the Gorringe Bank (NE Atlantic). Journal of Sea Research 100: 91-98.

2014

Bell, K.L.C., M.L. Brennan, and N.A. Raineault, eds (2014). New Frontiers in Ocean Exploration: The E/V Nautilus 2013 Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Field Season. Oceanography 27 (1): 52. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.supplement.01
Carey, S., Ballard, R., Croff Bell, K., Bell, R., Connally, P., Dondin, F., Fuller, S., Gobin, J., Miloslavich, P., Roman, C., Seibel, B., Siu, N., Smart, C. (2014). Cold Seeps Associated with a Submarine Debris Avalanche Deposit at Kick’em Jenny Volcano, Grenada (Lesser Antilles). Deep Sea Research I 93: 156-160. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967…
Kelly, J., Carey, S., Pistolesi, M., Rosi, M., Croff Bell, K., Roman, C., Marani, M. (2014). Exploration of the 1891 Foerstner submarine vent site (Pantelleria, Italy): insights into the formation of basaltic balloons. Bulletin of Volcanology 76: 844-862. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00445-014-0844-4
Nomikou, P., Croff Bell,K., Papanikolaou, D., Bejelou, K., Cantner, K., Sakellariou, D., Perros, I. (2014). Tsunami Hazard Risk of a future volcanic eruption of Kolumbo submarine volcano, NE of Santorini Caldera, Greece. Natural Hazards 72(3): 1375–1390. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-012-0405-0
Nomikou, P., Papanikolaou, D., Tibaldi, A., Carey, S., Livanos, I., Croff Bell K., Pasquarè, F., Rousakis, G. (2014). The detection of Volcanic Debris Avalanches (VDAs) along the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, using marine geophysical techniques. Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences 37: 339-350. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_30

2013

Bell, K., Carey, S., Nomikou, P., Sigurdsson, H., Sakellariou, D. (2013). Submarine evidence of a debris avalanche deposit on the eastern slope of Santorini Volcano, Greece. Tectonophysics 597-598: 147-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2012.05.006
Bell, K.L.C., and M.L. Brennan, eds (2013). New Frontiers in Ocean Exploration: The E/V Nautilus 2012 Field Season and Summary of Mediterranean Exploration. Oceanography 26 (1): 64. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.supplement.01
Carey, S. Nomikou, P., Croff Bell, K., Lilley, M., Lupton, J., Roman, C., Stathopoulou, E., Bejelou, K., Ballard, R. (2013). CO2 Degassing from Hydrothermal Vents at Kolumbo Submarine Volcano, Greece and the Accumulation of Acidic Crater Water. Geology 41(9): 1035-1038. https://doi.org/10.1130/G34286.1
Nomikou, P., Carey, S., Croff Bell, K., Papanikolaou, D., Bejelou, K., Alexandri, M., Cantner, K., Martin, J. (2013). Morphological analysis and related volcanic features of the Kolumbo submarine volcanic chain (NE of Santorini Island, Aegean Volcanic Arc). Zeitschrift fόr Geomorphologie 57: 29 - 47. https://doi.org/10.1127/0372-8854/2013/S-00142
Nomikou, P., Croff Bell, K., Papanikolaou, D., Livanos, I., Martin, J. (2013). Exploring the Avyssos-Yali-Strogyli submarine volcanic complex at the the Avyssos-Yali-Strogyli submarine volcanic complex at the eastern edge of the Aegean Volcanic Arc edge of the Aegean Volcanic Arc. Zeitschrift fόr Geomorphologie 57: 125-137.

2012

Bell, K.L.C., K. Elliott, C. Martinez, and S.A. Fuller, eds (2012). New Frontiers in Ocean Exploration: The E/V Nautilus and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2011 Field Season. Oceanography 25 (1): 68. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2011.supplement.01
Brennan, M., Ballard, R., Roman, C., Croff Bell, K., Buxton, B., Coleman, D., Inglis, G., Koyagasioglu, O., Turanli, T. (2012). Evaluation of the modern submarine landscape off southwestern Turkey through the documentation of ancient shipwreck sites. Continental Shelf Research 43: 55-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2012.04.017
Nomikou, P., Carey, S., Papanikolaou, D., Croff Bell, K., Sakellariou, D., Alexandri, M., Bejelou, K. (2012). Submarine volcanoes of the Kolumbo volcanic zone NE of Santorini Caldera, Greece. Global and Planetary Change 90-91: 135-151. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092181811…

2011

Bell, K.L.C., and S.A. Fuller, eds (2011). New Frontiers in Ocean Exploration: The E/V Nautilus 2010 Field Season. Oceanography 24: 44. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.24.1.supplement
Bell, KLC. (2011). On the origin of submarine sediment features in the southern Aegean Sea. Dissertation: University of Rhode Island https://uri-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/10no…
Brennan, M.L., Ballard, R.D., Croff Bell, K.L., Piechota, D. (2011). Archaeological oceanography and environmental characterization of shipwrecks in the Black Sea. Special Paper of the Geological Society of America 473: 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1130/2011.2473(11)
Brennan, Michael & Turanli, Tufan & Buxton, Bridget & Bell, Katherine & Roman, Chris & Kofahl, Meko & Koyagasioglu, Orkan & Whitesell, Dan & Chamberlain, Thomas & Sullivan, Richard & Ballard, Robert. (2011). Landscape imaging of the southeast Aegean Sea. Oceanography 24(1): 18-19. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274072815_Landscap…

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