Paul Henry Nargeolet is the one who has dived deeper than others to the Titanic Shipwreck. It has been reported that he has dived to the Titanic shipwreck more than 30 times. He recorded a mysterious sonar “blip” close to the wreckage on one of these trips in 1998.
Since then, no one has been in a position to determine what the blip is. It could be another shipwreck, a geological feature, or anything else entirely.
The mystery is now solved in 2022.
Nargeolet was part of a team that explored the Titanic wreck earlier this year. They were able, with the help of other researchers, to discover a deep-sea reef brimming with marine life. It is located 2,900 meters (9 514 feet) below sea level.
“We didn’t know what would be discovered,” Nargeolet. “According to the sonar, it could have been many things including another shipwreck,”
“I have been looking for the opportunity to explore this large object which appeared on sonar many years ago. It was amazing to find this incredible volcanic formation that is teeming full of life.
The researchers observed sponges, corals, fish, lobsters, and more on top of the basalt ridge, which has provisionally been named the Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge after Nargeolet and Oisín Fanning, Mission Specialist on the expedition.
“When I heard about the possibility to dive to unravel the mystery of sonar images in 1998, I knew that I wanted to be part of this effort.” “ Fanning.
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It will take time to review all the videos from the last dive. However, the team is eager share their findings with scientists to improve our understanding of deep-sea life.
One interesting avenue of inquiry is to see how the types of life and the concentration of organisms vary between the Nargeolet Fanning Ridge (and the famous shipwreck that it lies nearby).
“The similarities and the differences will help us understand our deep-sea environments better,” “Steve Ross is a University of North Carolina marine scientist, chief expedition scientist.
Researchers also collected water samples that could be used for environmental DNA analysis to find out more about the species on this newly discovered Ridge.
Computer models will also help to determine how life survives where it is. This ties in with scientists’ ongoing efforts to understand how corals and sponges spread across the ocean.
All this contributes to ongoing research into how Climate changeOceans are also being affected. How these fragile ecosystems might adapt to the changing environment and survive? Waters warm up.
“We must share this information with scientists and policymakers to ensure that these fragile ecosystems receive the protection and attention they deserve.” Murray Roberts, a marine biologistFrom the University of Edinburgh in the UK.
Murray can be heard speaking in the video below, which shows some of the deep-sea environments they experienced while diving in their submersible manned named ‘Maneuve’. Titan‘.
