Althouth researchers have taken samples of deep ocean rock and sediment for over a century,the first detailed global investigation of the ocean bottom did not actually start until 1968,with the beginning of the National Science Foundation's Deep Sea Drilling Project.Using techniques first developed for the offshore oil and gas industry. the drill ship, the Glomar Challenger, was able to maintain a steady position on the ocean's surface and drill in very deep waters, extracting samples of sediments and rock from the ocean floor.