In 1996 a mysterious signal appeared on a submarine’s sonar near the wreckage of the Titanic. Today, thanks to an expedition, we know what it is.
Titanic. Credit: OceanGate Tours
In the 1996Duringimmersion In the site where Titanicoff the island of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Ocean sonar from U.S Submarine Discover something anomaly near the huge across the Atlantic. A mysterious “picture” appeared on the screen Paul Henri Nargoletadventurer and experienced submarine pilot who has studied for decades Shipwreck The most famous in the world (can be seen today in stunning 8K images Thanks to a recent shipment). The object discovered by the sonar was huge, with a shape similar to that of the ship that sank before the infamous Ice mountain. It could have been another wreck, one geological formation Or who knows what else. The mystery remained so until this year, when the community of researchers and explorers was in the abyss OceanGate Tours – The same person who filmed the movie Titanic in high definition – decided to conduct a thorough investigation. This is what was discovered.
Thanks to a small submarine, the adventurers approached the place of origin of the mysterious flash, and found themselves before a wonderful and unexpected sight: pristine coral reefs On a large basaltic formation, completely unknown to scientists. Near the Titanic there is a environmental system Dense, full of life and so rich vertebrates And the invertebrates. Nargolet (who took part in the trip) and his colleagues were able to admire coral Of various types, shapes and colors, as well spongeAnd the oystersAnd the fish And many other wonderful sea creatures. The barrier is real Lost the world at a depth of 2900 meters, a stone’s throw from the exceptional ecosystem that grew up on the artificial barrier provided by the Titanic sections. Comparison between Biodiversity Of the two neighboring ecosystems is one of the most interesting research projects launched after the discovery.
“This discovery will improve the way we think about biodiversity in the depths. The basalt volcanic formations look amazing and we are amazed at the diversity and density of sponges, bamboo corals and other cold-water corals, lobsters and fish that thrive at a depth of 2,900 meters in the North Atlantic,” Professor Steve W. Ross said in a press release, a researcher at the University of North Carolina’s Marine Science Center and a member of OceanGate Expeditions. We didn’t know what we were going to find out. On sonar, this could be anything else, including another possible shipwreck. I have been searching for a long time to explore this large object that appeared on sonar a long time ago. It was great to explore this area and find this amazing volcanic formation that is teeming with so much life,” said enthusiast PH Nargeolet.
Thanks to the submarine, scientists have collected a large number of dataAnd the Photo And the video Which will be thoroughly analyzed in the coming months. Also collected water samples From different areas of the ecosystem, which throughDNA analysis They will allow identification of species that live and reproduce in the lost world. The basaltic formation was given the temporary name of Nargolite Fanning Ridge, in honor of the discoverer of the “basalt point” in 1996 and Oisin Fanninga veteran of the OceanGate Expeditions.
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