Maritime exploration becomes safer and more efficient with technical innovations that significantly advance navigation and cartography. By the eighteenth century, improvements to the theodolite, octant, precision clocks, compass, telescope, and general shipbuilding techniques enhance the accuracy and reach of seafaring expeditions.

From the mid-eighteenth century through the nineteenth century, scientific missions systematically map newly discovered regions, document unfamiliar flora and fauna, and conduct hydrological, astronomical, and meteorological observations. These expeditions also refine navigation techniques, further integrating science into exploration.

This period fosters remarkable advancements across numerous scientific disciplines, including natural history, botany, zoology, ichthyology, conchology, taxonomy, medicine, geography, geology, mineralogy, hydrology, oceanography, physics, and meteorology. Together, these fields embody the spirit of "improvement" and "progress" that defines the Enlightenment.

Artists play a crucial role in these endeavors, visually documenting landscapes and indigenous peoples, while natural history illustrators meticulously capture organisms before they degrade after collection. Some of the world's finest natural history illustrations emerge during this time, marking a shift from skilled amateurs to professionally trained illustrators, who become acutely aware of the necessity for scientific accuracy.