Cordell Expeditions is an independent nonprofit research/educational organization.

Founded in 1977, the group has carried out a series of research expeditions every year since 1978. The work involves exploring and describing remote sites, principally offshore submerged marine sites that support extensive biological communities. The motivation for the work is to carry out field work to generate primary information about the sites, so that they can be protected and rationally managed.

The first project of Cordell Expeditions was to explore and describe Cordell Bank, a shallow rocky feature about 50 nautical miles NW of San Francisco, California. As a result of this 10-year project, the U. S. Department of Commerce designated it as the Cordell Bank National Sanctuary.

Other expeditions by the group have been to the Farallon Islands, Noonday Rock, and Fanny Shoal (northern California); the coast near Pt. Sur (California); Rocas Alijos and Guadalupe Island (Baja California); Peter I Island (Antarctica); Roqueta Island (Mexico); Galapagos (Ecuador); Easter Island/Salas y Gómez (south Pacific); Heard Island (South Indian Ocean); San Felix island (Chile); and Kure Atoll (Pacific Ocean).

Books that resulted from the these expeditions include:

Ecology of an Underwater Island

Edward Cordell and the Discovery of Cordell Bank

Rocas Alijos. Scientific Results from the Cordell Expeditions

3YØPI Peter I Island: The 1994 DXpedition

DX-Aku: Messages from the Easter Island Expedition

VKØIR: The 1997 Heard Island Expedition

XRØX: The 2002 San Felix Island Expedition

The work has resulted in the discovery of more than 20 new species, significant uncharted topographic features, and many first observations of environmental conditions. Altogether more than 1000 new records (range and depth extensions, and first observations) have been recorded. A large collection of specimens, and photographic archive, and a large number of popular articles are additional results of the expeditions.

Cordell Expeditions is also involved with ongoing research programs associated with educational institutions, including Diablo Valley College, the California Academy of Sciences, St. Mary's College, and the Shorebird Nature Center in Berkeley. Additionally, the expeditions have embraced radio science, with extensive involvement in amateur radio used on expeditions, particularly to remote sites such as oceanic islands.

HONORS

Southwest Ohio DX Association: DXpedition of the Year (1994, 1995, 1997)
QST: Best Magazine Article: Peter I 1994, Heard Island 1997		Chiltern DX Club: Certificate of Merit for Heard Island DXpedition 1997
Central Arizona DX Association: Honorary Lifetime Membership KK6EK 1997	International Underwater Foundation: Environmental Enrichment Award 1995	Underwater Photogaphic Society: OPEN VIDEO Second Place 1985

Named Geographic feature: Schmieder Bank (off Pt. Sur, California)

Named new species and subspecies: Armina cordellensis Gosliner Codium dawsonii Silva Codium schmiederi Silva Erylus schmiederi Austin Forcepia (Forcepia) elvini Lee Guitarra abbotti Lee Halcelia bozanici Hendler Homalopoma cordellensis McLean Megalomphalus schmiederi McLean Ophioderma vansyoci Hendler Paratimea alijosensis Hendler Pharia pyramidata schmiederi Hendler Thor cordelli Wicksten