The tragedy of the RMS Titanic has captured the world’s attention unlike any other shipwreck known to man.  On April 10, 1912, the Titanic left Southampton, England on her maiden voyage to New York City.  Four days into her journey, at 11:40pm on the night of April 14^th, she struck an iceberg and two hours and forty minutes later she sank into oblivion.  Nearly 100 years have passed since that tragic event and a number of books, articles and movies including “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” “A Night to Remember” and the 1997 box office hit “Titanic” have attempted to detail, romanticize and sensationalize the sinking of this legendary ship.

On July 1, 1985, a combined collection of scientists from Woods Hole Deep Submergence Lab and the French Institute Francais de Recherche pour I’Exploitation des Mers (IFREMER) set out to locate the wreck of Titanic.  Two months later during the early hours on September 1^st, the team experienced success when they finally located the elusive Titanic.  Considered to be always a part of the past, the Titanic finally became a part of the present.

Twenty five years after the discovery of the Titanic, RMS Titanic, Inc. (the Salvor-In-Possession of RMS Titanic and its wreck site) in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Waitt Institute will conduct a ground- breaking expedition to do what no one has ever attempted before:  to virtually raise Titanic, preserving the legacy of the Ship for all time.

In what is arguably the most technologically advanced scientific expedition to Titanic ever organized, RMS Titanic, Inc. has brought together a team of leading archaeologists, oceanographers and scientists including The Institute of Nautical Archaeology, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program, and The National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center to execute this historic “mission of firsts.”

“The significance and scope of this mission, the team we’ve assembled to carry it out, and the breakthrough technologies being deployed will give people the opportunity to experience Titanic like never before,” said Chris Davino, president of RMS Titanic, Inc. “RMS Titanic, Inc. has a singular purpose:  to faithfully and respectfully preserve the memory of Titanic and of all who sailed with her. The goals and objectives of this expedition are fully aligned with that purpose.”

Launching from St. John’s, Newfoundland on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, this 20-plus day expedition will employ revolutionary acoustic imaging, sonar technologies and high resolution optical, video and 3-D imaging to provide the first comprehensive view of the entire wreck site with unprecedented accuracy and clarity. Through this suite of sophisticated robots, sonars and cameras, leading experts will chart the boundaries of the wreck site, map the physical position of the Ship and its artifacts on the ocean floor, and create a blueprint that will inform the wreck site’s ongoing maintenance. Together, this data will work to paint a complete picture of Titanic that only a few have been able to witness first-hand.

“As the first scientific expedition of this magnitude since Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, working with French colleagues from IFREMER, discovered the Titanic wreck site 25 years ago, this dive provides the perfect opportunity to utilize the exciting, new technologies we’ve been developing,” said Susan Avery, the president and director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a leading voice in the oceanographic community. “This journey is going to give us important perspectives into the decomposition of the Ship and its effect on the ocean and the seabed.”

Located 2.5 miles below the ocean surface, Titanic came to rest in a three-square-mile field of debris.  This summer, a “dream team” of oceanographic experts, technical innovators and marine archaeologists have joined together in cooperation to achieve the mission’s ambitious goals. 

Leading the expedition is P.H. Nargeolet, director of Underwater Research for RMS Titanic, Inc. and a widely acknowledged authority of the site. A veteran leader of five previous journeys to the wreck, Nargeolet has completed 30 Titanic dives, supervising the recovery of some 5,500 artifacts along the way.

David Gallo, director of special projects at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is co-leading the expedition. Gallo actively promotes deep-sea exploration and is moved by the unprecedented collaboration between private, non-profit, and government entities to make this expedition a success.

World Footprints will have the pleasure of interviewing David Gallo before and after the expedition.  Our initial interview will focus on the virtual raising of Titanic through three-dimensional modeling and the numerous firsts that this eighth expedition:   

• It will be the first time this deep water wreck site will be transformed into an archaeological site with all scientific data available for review and study, including all of the factors influencing the wreck’s deterioration. This “road map” for the wreck site has critical implications for Titanic’s future.
• Microorganisms collected at the site and evaluated through advanced technology may turn out to be distant relatives of the original microorganisms that went down with Titanic, which will unlock a wealth of new understanding and information about biodeterioration.  
• The use of high definition and 3D (3DHD) video will produce the clearest images yet of the wreck and its surroundings.
• The mission will gather critical information to develop new standards in underwater archaeology for maritime heritage site management, especially in the deep sea.
• Assembled by RMS Titanic, Inc. this is the first time that a team of leading authorities has come together on a mission to Titanic, each united in the quest to model and map Titanic for future generations and to work for the site’s long term preservation.  

If you’re a Titanic enthusiast you can experience the journey’s excitement and explore the wreck site in real time, with ongoing video feeds and photo postings, and interaction with key crew members through Facebook, Twitter and by visiting the Expedition Titanic website.

Tags: Ocean Expedition, RMS Titanic

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 8:54 pm and is filed under Culture & Heritage, Responsible / Sustainable Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.