The "Titanic" century: the study of the wreckage of the ship helped to discover new marine species

Scientists have discovered new species of marine animals through the study of the wreckage of the Titanic. Russia has also developed a technology for preserving organic matter (books, food, and handicrafts) in a form suitable for further study and display in museums. Russian specialists are also working on 3D models of sunken underwater objects. Based on them, they plan to create a digital memorial museum of sunken ships. For more information on how research into the remains of the steamer launched the development of new deep—sea technologies, see the Izvestia article.

How the Titanic triggered the development of technology

Russia has created a unique technology for the conservation of organic matter found in the holds of ships that sank several centuries ago. The technique makes it possible to safely lift from the seabed, study and preserve in museums samples of caught fish and marine animals, food and clothing that belonged to the seafarers of the past. At the same time, large-scale work is being carried out in our country to create 3D casts of objects from the past that are under water. Based on them, a digital memorial museum of sunken ships is being created.

This was told by Russian scientists interviewed by Izvestia in connection with the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the wreckage of the Titanic, a transatlantic liner that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean in 1912 and sank to a depth of about 3,800 m. The ship was found by members of a search team led by Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel on September 1, 1985. It was discovered using the Argo underwater sledge, a platform with a system of cameras, sonar, incandescent lamps and other equipment towed above the seabed at an altitude of 15-30 m.

The study of the Titanic's remains has opened up a wide range of work to study the ship's remains and bring sunken objects to the surface, experts say. This provoked the rapid development of deep-sea technologies.

— Many technological systems that are used in various fields, including defense, are often born as a result of emergency response. A vivid example is the history of the Argo platform. It was equipped with powerful illuminators and modern equipment at that time, which made it possible to detect the wreckage of the Titanic on the bottom of the Atlantic," Anatoly Sagalevich, head of the Laboratory for the Scientific Operation of Deep—sea Habitable Vehicles at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Hero of Russia, told Izvestia.

The Russian Mir-1 and Mir-2 spacecraft also played a significant role in exploring the depths of the world's oceans. However, the scientist, who was also the commander of the first of the deep-sea ships, explained that these studies might not have happened if it hadn't been for the orders related to James Cameron's preparation of the Titanic film.

In total, during the period from 1991 to 2005, Mira made eight expeditions and more than 200 dives to the wreck site. These works were used to finance scientific missions of the spacecraft.

For example, one of the most significant works of this kind was the study of hydrothermal fields on the ocean floor, where oases of life form around underwater thermal springs — communities of creatures that live in the dark, without access to light, Anatoly Sagalevich said. And they use bacteria as the basis of the food chain, which receive energy through the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide and methane (chemosynthesis).

— The first expeditions to the Titanic focused on investigating the condition of the ship, studying its destruction and collecting artifacts that could shed light on the causes and circumstances of the disaster. Subsequently, with the development of technology, expeditions have become more frequent and technically equipped," said Evgeny Chernyaev, commander of the Mir—2 deep-sea spacecraft at the Laboratory for the Scientific Operation of Deep-sea Habitable Vehicles of the IO RAS.

According to him, the environmental situation and the influence of sea currents were also studied at the crash site. Biology has become one of the important areas. Among other things, the scientists studied the unique organisms that inhabited the surface and interior of the ship. For example, the researchers recorded how these animals are distributed and develop, noting that the level of favorable conditions depends on the height of the location on the debris.

How to preserve underwater treasures from organic matter

— The Titanic has become one of the engines of development of underwater research. For the first time, many technical solutions and techniques were tested on it, which later became classics in the field of studying the depths of the sea," said Sergey Fokin, Executive director of the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society, a pilot of a manned underwater vehicle.

According to him, Russian scientists have also achieved significant success in developing new technologies for deep-sea research. One of the achievements was a unique method of preserving organic materials extracted from underwater depths in a form suitable for museum exhibitions. Moreover, without vessels with a preservative solution (as it was done before). The technology was developed by the Center's specialists in collaboration with other scientific organizations.

— One of the objects that we studied was the sailing three—masted vessel Archangel Raphael. In the autumn of 1724, it was covered by ice and sank in the Gulf of Finland. There were loads of organic materials on board. For example, barrels of pickled eel. No museum could take them on balance due to the difficulty of preservation. To solve this problem, a new methodology has been developed. Its essence is that organic artifacts are impregnated with a transparent silicate—like film that preserves the texture, shape and tactile properties of objects and allows them to be stored for a long time, safely held in their hands and studied," explained Sergey Fokin.

He added that this technology is particularly relevant for the Baltic Sea, as it, unlike other, saltier seas, preserves organic items better. For example, in this water area, underwater archaeologists find books, wigs, garments and other similar artifacts preserved in the water for centuries.

— The preservation of objects recovered from the seabed is fraught with serious difficulties due to the aggressive environment in which they were located. Most materials gradually degrade under the influence of salt water, which leads to the destruction of ship structures. In addition, the hulls are "eaten" by specialized bacteria. These microorganisms were named after the Titanic, the bacterium Halomonas titanicae," said Viktor Vakhoneev, senior researcher at the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He stressed that according to some forecasts, in the next 5-10 years, the hull of the Titanic, which has been lying on the seabed for more than a century, may lose its stability. To save the ship, some scientists suggest using protective coatings that could slow down the destructive processes. However, it is difficult and expensive.

Today, the international scientific community is leaning towards alternative methods — the creation of digital copies and models, the scientist noted. In particular, the complete digitization of the Titanic has been carried out. The work was carried out using bathyscaphes and remote-controlled underwater vehicles equipped with cameras with 4K resolution. The result was the creation of a digital twin of the vessel, which is available for study.

Russia is also actively implementing digital documentation technologies for the underwater heritage, Viktor Vakhoneev noted. Especially in the Baltic Sea, where there are many sunken ships from different eras, as well as airplanes, cars and other pieces of equipment. Thus, a digital memorial museum of sunken ships is being created.