Final answer:
The significance of the H.M.S Challenger expedition lies in the comprehensive scientific investigations carried out by the crew, which revolutionized the understanding of oceanography and marine science.
Step-by-step explanation:
The voyage of the H.M.S Challenger was important because physicists, chemists, and biologists conducted experiments and gathered collections that changed existing scientific knowledge about the oceans. The purpose of this expedition was not to demonstrate superior sailing skills or for navigators to circumnavigate the globe, but rather to collect comprehensive data on marine life, oceanographic conditions, geology, and chemistry among other scientific aspects.
This was a great leap in the understanding of the oceans as it provided critical data that impacted multiple scientific disciplines. The voyage did not pertain to the documentation of ocean currents and weather which had been studied previously, nor was it a race like the earlier steamships races across the Atlantic. Instead, it represented a major scientific undertaking, contributing vastly to our knowledge of oceanography.