Titanic Wreck Is 'Being Consumed' by Metal-Eating Bacteria, Say Divers Visiting Ship

The Titanic’s days on the ocean floor are limited.

In early August, a group of divers from Triton Submarines returned from an eight-day trip to the location where the Titanic sunk back in 1912. The trip marked the first time the ship had been visited by a submersible vessel in 14 years.

According to a press release from Triton, the group conducted a series of five dives to the ship’s final resting place, which is located 370 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada.

Utilizing special camera equipment, the team of experts was able to capture 4K footage of the ship, which will make it possible to visualize the wreck in the future using augmented reality and virtual reality technology — which could come in handy seeing as the Titanic is in the process of “being consumed” by metal-eating bacteria.

“The most fascinating aspect was seeing how the Titanic is being consumed by the ocean and returning to its elemental form while providing refuge for a remarkably diverse number of animals,” said Triton Submarines President and Co-Founder Patrick Lahey.

In addition to the bacteria, the ship, which rests 12,500 feet beneath the surface in water that’s just above the freezing, is also affected by salt corrosion and changing sea currents.

Additionally while visiting the wreckage, the group laid a wreath and held a ceremony honoring those who perished from the 1912 voyage, which was immortalized in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Scientists have hypothesized that the shipwreck will disappear in just a few decades due to the bacteria, the BBC previously reported.

Although the wreck was well-preserved at the time it was discovered in 1985 by oceanographer Robert Ballard, some researchers have predicted there will be nothing left of the “unsinkable” ship by 2031.

Source: Read Full Article