No one had been able to determine what a mysterious sonar “beep” near the wreck site was. Now the answer has been found and it is unexpected. They discover what caused the mysterious noise emanating from the remains of the Titanic on the ocean floor.
Paul Henry Nargeolet dived on the wreck of the Titanic more often than anyone else. More than 30 times in total, in fact. On one such trip, in 1998, he recorded a mysterious sonar “beep” near the wreck site. In the decades since, no one has been able to establish what the problem is, another shipwreck, some kind of geological feature, or something completely new.
An underwater expedition managed to capture images, in 2022, the mystery has finally been solved. During an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic earlier this year, Nargeolet and his fellow researchers were able to discover that the sounds come from a deep-sea coral reef teeming with marine life, some 2,900 meters below the surface. reports Science Alert.
“ We didn’t know what we’d find out ,” says Nargeolet. “On sonar, this could have been any number of things, including the possibility of another shipwreck.”
” I’ve been looking for an opportunity to explore this large object that showed up on sonar so long ago. It’s been amazing to explore this area and find this fascinating volcanic formation teeming with life ,” says Science Alert. The researchers observed sponges, coral, fish, lobsters and more atop the basalt ridge.
The researchers observed sponges, coral, fish, lobsters and more atop the basalt ridge, which has been tentatively named the Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge after Nargeolet and Oisín Fanning , a mission specialist on the expedition. Solved a 26-year-old Titanic mystery – Meet the Titanic’s majestic neighbor in the deep sea. “ When I heard about the possibility of going on a dive to uncover the mystery of what was seen on the sonar in 1998, I knew I wanted to be a part of the effort ,” says Fanning.
A city of fish in the deep
Although it will take some time to review all the images and video from the most recent dive, the team wants to share their findings with other scientists to improve our knowledge of deep marine life , says Science Alert.
An intriguing line of research aims to determine how life types, organism concentrations, and overall ecosystem composition vary between Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge and the famous shipwreck near which it sits.
“ The similarities and differences will help us better understand our deep-sea environments ,” says marine scientist and expedition lead scientist Steve Ross of the University of North Carolina. The researchers also collected numerous water samples that can be subjected to environmental DNA analysis processes to gain more insight into the species we are dealing with on this newly discovered ridge, reports Science Alert.
Computer models will also be used to find out how life survives where it is – this ties into scientists’ ongoing efforts to learn more about how sponges and corals manage to spread so widely across the ocean.
All of this fuels ongoing research into how climate change is also affecting the oceans and how these delicate ecosystems might adapt and be able to survive as waters warm.
“ We need to share this information with the scientific community and policymakers to make sure these vulnerable ecosystems get the attention and protection they deserve ,” says marine biologist Murray Roberts of the University of Edinburgh in the UK, reports Science Alert.
Murray’s voice can be heard in the video the team posted (below) sharing some of the deep sea environment they witnessed as they dived in their manned submersible dubbed “Titan.”
