Science

First Footage: James Cameron’s View of the Ocean Depths & Mariana Trench

Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:33pm by Liz Klimas
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National Geographic slowly continues to release information from Canadian director James Cameron’s record-breaking voyage to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench. The latest is a first glimpse at what Cameron saw while seven miles deep on the ocean floor.

Check out the footage:

In the clip Cameron describes his surroundings as like being on another planet. He says animal life at that level is white and only a few have eyes to sense bioluminescence. Nature reports Woods Hole deep-sea biologist Tim Shank saying because there is little life at the surface of Challenger Deep and we therefore should not expect too much to be below:

“If it had been a trench with a productive water column, like the Kermadec Trench near New Zealand, I think he would have seen much more biology,” says Shank. However, sediment samples are certain to contain billions of microbes.

National Geographic Releases First Footage from James Camerons Visit to the Mariana Trench

Unfortunately, Cameron was unable to collect samples as his trip was cut short — from a planned six hours to three — due to a leak and a malfunction of the collecting arm. Cameron has expressed that he doesn’t consider it a loss though as it is only the beginning. Nature continues:

After grabbing one sediment sample, the sub’s hydraulic system failed, freezing the collection devices just as Cameron was about to use them to pick up rocks. “That just means we’ve got to go back and do some more,” Cameron says. The team now hopes to complete three or four more dives in coming weeks. The expedition’s scientists are anxious to learn more about life on the rocky sides of the trench.

Cameron was the first person to visit the trench since 1960 and became the first individual to take the plunge solo. With an 8-foot panel of LED lights to illuminate the pinch black environment and several cameras to record it, more footage is expected in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted as it is released.

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Comments (21)

supressorgrid
Posted on March 31, 2012 at 9:44pm
Hey, look. It is Obama’s popularity ratings!
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Marine25
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 10:09am
I never understand the knee-jerk criticism of all things science, all things higher learning, at this site. You sound like the old geezer in every neighborhood screaming ” get offa my lawn!”
must be terrible growing old.
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nilo
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 9:33am
He could go to D.C. and find the same desolation in terms of Constitutional government. He could have sent Spongebob Squarepants down, and got his report.
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sy212
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 8:39am
He spends his millions to go 35,000 feet down into the ocean. He finds mud at the bottom. Whodathunk?
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datruthmonstah
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 12:17am
The dreaded white male. First to the highest point on earth, first into space, first to orbit the earth, first on the moon, and now the first to the lowest point on earth.

KEEP HATING
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Cymry
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 10:51pm
it’s “pitch” as in tar, black not “pinch”. pretty cool stuff. his politics still suck.
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THXll38
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 8:28pm
Pretty freakin cool. All the cool aliens that live down there get the hell out and hide to make dumb ass humans think there is nothing down there.
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Sirfoldallot
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:32pm
Wow
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ShyMan
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:08pm
Cool.
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TRILO
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:35pm
@Possom – it is in man’s nature to explore the unknown. If man did not have the desire to explore and investigate the unknown some of the greatest inventions would never have been created. Just like the computer you are using to post your comments. I think it is great. He has the courage and money to do it, so why not.
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:08pm
I may not agree with him politically, but I respect his scientific and explorative nature. He must have nads the size of basketballs to be cramped alone in that tiny, dark ship with all that pressure pressing in on him.
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- dadadadio
  Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:19pm
  Ditto on that. Whatever else he may be, he definitely has the courage of a Mercury astronaut. If he’d been stranded, or somebody with only a B+ in math had calculated his hull strength, all the money and fame in the world wouldn’t have saved him.
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- Teufel Hunden
  Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:33pm
  The pressure at that depth is roughly 15,941.7 pounds per square inch. That’s allot to think about! Well that and springing a leak!
  Report Post »
- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:53pm
  His next daredevil journey is to take that same ship, on a ride through Oprah’s colon, he took this deep dive to ensure the ship could handle the pressure. He hopes to find Obama’s head during the colon dive, or at least Oprah’s dignity.
  Report Post »
- Latter-Day-Soldier
  Posted on March 28, 2012 at 4:06am
  I’ll stick to dry land thank you.
  Report Post »
possom
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:01pm
Why did he go down there anyway? I mean seriously who care’s!
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- scuba13
  Posted on March 27, 2012 at 5:02pm
  Didn’t someone discover sand a long time ago?
  Report Post »
- PossumRoadkill
  Posted on March 28, 2012 at 8:17am
  You give possums a bad name. Go away and stay away ignorant one.
  
  This is very cool ! If you want to see something else that is really cool watch Shark Men on NatGeo. It is really awesome !
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:56pm
All he found was an old boot and a license plate. What a waste.
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- mharry860
  Posted on March 27, 2012 at 7:02pm
  Next time they’ll find the weight bags they used. So they’re littering in the process. It’s like going to all the trouble of going to the moon and wondering why no one is there.
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SamIamTwo
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 4:40pm
He used his own money, right? LOL
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