A team of explorers makes an unexpected discovery near the wreck of the Titanic – Ouest-France

Specialists in Titanic Regular wreck divers aboard mini-submarines are accustomed to discovering treasures around the famous ocean liner. But they did not expect to come across an unexplored volcanic site, at a depth of 2,900 meters in the North Atlantic.

Paul Henri Nargolet thought he had seen everything in the sinking area of ​​the Titanic. This seventy, who lives in the United States, is One of the greatest French wreck experts. Since 1987 he has been practicing scuba diving about thirty times On board small submarines to explore the remains of the famous ocean liner that sank in April 1912 in the middle of the North Atlantic. If he does not discover the wreck, he is the first to bring things from Titanic On the surface, with a difference nautilus. He has returned over 5800 so far. Paintings, torsos, shoes and even body parts. But he had never expected to make such a discovery…

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As shown the magazine geoA memory that haunts him for more than two decades. In 1996, while Paul-Henri Nargolet was exploring the sea floor with sonar, he saw a strange shape not far from the wreck. But he never had the chance to go there to see what it was all about. Underwater excursions dedicated to Titanic Expensive and always of limited duration: it takes more than two hours to get to the site from the surface already, at a depth of 3800 meters, and it takes a long time to ascend. Until recently, the specialist worked only in the company RMS Titanicthe holder of the exclusive right to the purposes of the ship, which therefore organizes only dives devoted to this task.

“It could have been another wreck.”

Henceforth, Paul-Henri Nargeolet also offers its services to OceanGate Expeditions. The latter offers individuals to board its submarines for a ticket… at $250,000 per person. It also guarantees underwater expeditions for scientific purposes, which are funded thanks to these generous contributions. In this context, the French specialist offered to help the company lift the veil on this mystery that has been tormenting him for 26 years.

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Recently, he went to the area with a team. “We didn’t know what we would find, testify, in Press release sent by OceanGate. On the sonar could be a whole bunch of things, including some other debris. »

Once there, Paul-Henri Nargolet and his colleagues were surprised to discover an extensive volcanic formation made of rocks, in the middle of a typical landscape of mud and sediment. A whole ecosystem has grown up there: sponges, corals, chubby lobsters and various fish. A kind of unexpected marine oasis at a depth of 2,900 meters, where animals and plants are scarce.

This as yet undiscovered site can provide valuable scientific information. At the site, the team took several photos and videos, as well as took water samples, which will allow the analysis of environmental DNA.

Comparison with artificial reefs in Titanic

“This discovery will improve the way we think about biodiversity in the abyss. The basalt volcanic formations look amazing, and we are amazed at the diversity and density of species that thrive at this depth,” Dr. Steve W. Ross, Research Professor at the University of North Carolina, and Chief Scientist at OceanGate Expeditions explains. In particular, biologists can learn more about how sponges and corals spread over long distances across the ocean. Computer simulations will be performed.

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The presence of a shipwreck Titanic In the same area it will also be useful, even if it has no connection with neighboring animals and plants. The discovery of this hitherto unknown ecosystem provides the opportunity to make a comparison with marine biology on and around the wreck. The diversity and concentration of life forms and entire ecosystems may differ between deep artificial reefs in Titanic And these are the natural reefs of the oceans,” Dr. Steve W. Ross adds.

A team of scientists on board the ship

OceanGate Expeditions intends to continue research into Titanic and surrounding area in 2023. Studies at the new site are supported by the OceanGate Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to marine research and applied technology. It brought together a team of marine biologists, marine archaeologists, and cartographers from the United States and Great Britain.

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Oisín Fanning, OceanGate mission specialist, was part of the expedition with Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Thus the volcanic rim, whose exact location has not been determined, was called Nargeolet-Fanning. Greetings to the Frenchman who spent part of his career in these depths.