The Titanic wreckage, located 3,800 meters below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean, has been a reminder of one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
The iconic ship, which sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York, has captivated people around the world and played a major role in pop culture.
Over the decades, the wreckage of the Titanic has been well-preserved at such extreme depths. However, scientists now fear that the remains of the ship may disappear completely by 2030 due to the activity of “hungry” bacteria in the ocean. In 2010, proteobacteria were found on rusticles from the wreckage, and recent estimates suggest that the ship may be entirely eroded within the next decade.
Efforts to locate the Titanic wreckage began immediately after its sinking, but it took 73 years to find. American oceanographer Robert Ballard and French oceanographer Jean-Louis Michel finally discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, lying in two main pieces about 2,000 feet apart. In 2012, the Titanic wreckage was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognizing its historical significance.
The Titanic wreckage still rests on the ocean floor about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. However, recent tragedy struck when a research submersible visiting the wreckage went missing on June 18, 2023, 11 decades after the ship sank. The vessel, owned by OceanGate Expeditions, disappeared with five people on board while exploring the iconic Titanic wreckage.
The US Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation for the missing crew members, including French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani millionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman, and UK businessman Hamish Harding. The missing submersible named Titan, designed by NASA engineers, reportedly lost contact with its team above water just one hour and 45 minutes into the expedition.
On June 22, 2023, the US Coast Guard recovered a debris field near the Titanic believed to be from the missing submersible. Tragically, it is presumed that the five passengers on board are no longer alive.
