First-of-its-kind DNA study to be carried out on Titanic wreck
More than 100 years after the RMS Titanic sunk to its icy grave in the Atlantic Ocean, a "world-first" environmental DNA study is being carried out on the wreck.
OceanGate Expeditions and eDNAtec today announced it will gather DNA water samples (eDNA) through five missions of the 2022 Titanic Survey.
It's hoped the samples will provide a clearer understanding of deep ocean biodiversity as the "unsinkable ship" has formed an artificial reef system.
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The wreck of the Titanic was found in 1985. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The wreck is situated in an unusual position, at a depth of 3800m in what is typically considered an "abyssal plain".
"This is groundbreaking deep-sea research," marine biologist Dr Steve W Ross said, explaining both microscopic and larger animals can be identified through analysis.
"The deeper you go into the ocean, the less knowledgeable we are.
"This study will give us an entirely different view of this one-of-a-kind habitat while also adding substantially to shared deepwater DNA data sets".
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Researchers will collect water samples from around the Titanic to develop a richer picture of the biodiversity on and around the wreck. eDNA
Dr Mehrdad Hajibabaei, an internationally recognised expert in biodiversity genomics and Founder and CSO of eDNAtec, said this is one the "deepest and most ambitious studies" ever undertaken.
"We will generate a complete view of organisms in an ecosystem using high-capacity sequencing platforms that generate billions of genomic sequences," he said.
The ill-fated White Star liner RMS Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. Getty
The iceberg pierced the Titanic's steel plates, causing six of its compartment to flood with icy water. AFP
Disaster struck the Titanic late on the evening of April 14, 1912, when it hit an iceberg.
The ice perforated its steel plates, causing six compartments to flood.
The ship, measuring 269m long, sank in two hours and 40 minutes.
More than 1500 people died in the maritime disaster, with many freezing in the frigid -2.2C waters of the Atlantic.
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