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TitanicSurveyExpeditionOceanGateExpeditionsAnnouncestheFirstMannedSubmersibleSurvey

oftheWorld’sMostFamousShipwrecksince2005

(Tuesday,March14,2017)–OceanGateExpeditionsannouncedtodaythatitwillconductthefirstmannedsubmersibleexpeditiontothewreckoftheRMSTitanicsince2005.Thesurveyexpeditionteamwillusethelatestsubseaimagingtechnologyandanewlybuiltmannedsubmersibletoassesstheconditionoftheshipwreckanddocumentartifactsinthedebrisfield.

TheexplorationteamwillconductannualsurveysofthewreckincollaborationwithexpertsfromtheAdvancedImagingandVisualizationLaboratoryAIVLattheWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitutionaspartofanon-goinglong-termstudytodocumentthecurrentconditionoftheTitanicmaritimeheritagesite.

Theseven-weekexpeditionwilldepartfromSt.John’s,NewfoundlandinlateMay2018withscientists,contentexperts,andmissionspecialistsjoiningthecrewinaseriesofweek-longmissions.Theexpeditioncrewsizeforeachmissionisabout20people,includingninemissionspecialists,submersiblepilots,andoperationscrew.Qualifiedindividualsjointhecrewasmissionspecialiststosupportthemissionbyhelpingtounderwritetheexpeditionandbyactivelyassistingtheteamaboardthesubmersibleandtheshipinrolessuchascommunications,navigation,sonaroperation,photography,anddiveplanning.

“Sincehersinking105yearsago,fewerthan200peoplehaveevervisitedthewreck,farfewerthanhaveflowntospaceorclimbedMountEverest,sothisisanincredibleopportunitytoexploreoneofthemostrarelyseenandreveredlandmarksontheplanet”,saidStocktonRush,CEOofOceanGateExpeditions.

ExpertsfromtheAdvancedImagingandVisualizationLaboratory(AIVL)atWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution(WHOI)willcollaborateontheexpedition.BillLange,directoroftheAIVLatWHOI,hasparticipatedinpreviousexpeditionstoTitanic.Histeamwillprovideimagingandlightingequipmentandwillleadeffortstocaptureimagesofthewreckfromthesubmersibleandthenassembletheseoverlappingimagesintoa3Dphotographicmodelofthewreckafterreturningtothesurface.

“Oursubseaimagingtechniquesallowustosystematicallydocumentthewreckanddebrisfieldandthencreateanearlylifelikedigitalmodelwithoutdisruptinganyartifactsorhabitat”,saidLange.“Thisexpeditionprovidesthebestopportunityforustoseethewreckfirsthand,anddocumentthegapsinourknowledgeofthewreck.”Lange’steamfromtheAIVLwillalsoattempttocollectenvironmentaldataatthesiteandmakethisdataavailabletoresearcherscurrentlyworkingonincreasingourunderstandingof

ThecrewofCyclops2,a5-personsubmersible,willcapturelaser,sonarandphotographicimagesofRMSTitanicatadepthof3800meters(13,800feet).

theenvironmentatthesiteandwhatsteps,ifany,areneededtopreserveandprotectthisworldheritagesite.

Recentadvancesintechnologyexpandtheteam’sabilitytoexplore,record,andunderstandtheunderseaworldatthesedepths.OceanGateistakingadvantageoftheseadvancesintheconstructionandinstrumentationofCyclops2.ThecarbonfiberandtitaniumsubmersiblewillcarryfivecrewmemberstotheTitanicandotherimportantbiologicalandarchaeologicalsitestodepthsof4,000meters(13,124feet).Whencomplete,Cyclops2willbetheonlyprivatelyownedsubmersibleintheworldcapableofdivingtothesedepths.

Importantly,OceanGatewillnotcollectanyartifactsduringtheexpeditiontotheTitanic."Werecognizethattheentiresiteisamemorialandweundertakeourmissionwithgreatrespectforthosewholosttheirlivesinthesinking”,saidRush.TheexpeditionsaretobeconductedinaccordancewithNOAAGuidelinesforResearch,ExplorationandSalvageofRMSTitanic.TheseguidelinescomplywithUNESCOguidelinesforthepreservationofunderwaterworldheritagesites.

AboutOceanGateExpeditionsOceanGateExpeditions,awhollyownedsubsidiaryofOceanGate,Inc.,isfocusedonthepureexplorationoftheunderseaworld.TodothisOceanGateExpeditionshasassembledateamofunderseaexplorers,scientists,andfilmmakerswhoarededicatedtomannedexplorationofthedeepoceanandwhobringtheirskillsorfinancialresourcestoattackthischallenge.Notsatisfiedwithscratchingthesurfaceoftheoceanneartheshoreline,OceanGateExpeditionsusesmannedsubmersiblestocreateexpeditionsatdepthsfardeeperthancanbereachedwithscuba.OceanGateExpeditionsconductsunderseaexpeditionstoexploreanddocumentthe95%oftheseafloorthatmanhasrarelyvisitedincludingiconicshipwrecks,hydrothermalvents,deep-seacanyons,andrarebiologicaleventsaroundtheworld.Theseexpeditions,todepthsapproaching4,000meters(13,000feet),providerareopportunitiestoobservethemysteriesofthedeepseaandexpandourunderstandingofourhome,earth,theblueplanet.www.titanicsurveyexpedition.com@OceanGateExped

AboutOceanGateOceanGateInc.isaprivatelyheldcompanybasedinEverett,Washington.Foundedin2009,thecompanyprovidesmannedsubmersibleservicesforindustry,research,andexploration.OceanGatecurrentlyownsandoperatestwo5-personsubmersiblesthatprovidedeep-seaaccessforunderwatersitesurveyandinspection,scientificresearch,technologytesting,andfilmproduction.www.oceangate.com@oceangate

AboutAdvancedImagingandVisualizationLaboratoryWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitutionTheAdvancedImagingandVisualizationLaboratory(AIVL)developsandoperatesinnovativedeep-seaimagingandtelemetrysystemsforuseinROVS,AUVs,mannedandunmannedaerialvehicles,diveroperatedsystemsaswellasdeepdivinghumanoccupiedvehicles.AIVL’sprecisionimagingsystemshavebeenusedallaroundtheworldineverythingfromunderwaterscientificandarchaeologicalsurveystohighaltitudeanimalhealthassessmentsandthedocumentationofrocketlaunches.Inadditiontosupportingthescientificcommunity,theimagerycollectedhasbeenusedforeducationalexhibitsinnumerousmuseums,sciencecentersandrepurposedforvarioustelevisionandfilmprograms.

AboutWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution(WHOI)TheWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitutionisaprivate,non-profitorganizationonCapeCod,Mass.,dedicatedtomarineresearch,engineering,andhighereducation.ItsprimarymissionistounderstandtheoceananditsinteractionwiththeEarthasawhole,andtocommunicatethisunderstandingforthebenefitofsociety.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.whoi.edu.

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