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| Titanic explorer Robert 'Bob' Ballard [Credit: Wells Fargo] |
“For example, on the top of the seamount, we have seen an unusual feeding pattern of whales, which are diving down 4,000 feet and feeding on something at the bottom of the ocean. We think they are beaked whales, they are very mysterious and we know very little about them.
“They are living in total darkness and feeding in total darkness, we are trying to understand what they are eating as there is no obvious food there,” Ballard said.
Other highlights of the trip included the discovery of the remains of an Ottoman war galley at a depth of 3,000 feet, along with a flintlock pistol which was surrounded by what appeared to be black rum bottles littering the sea floor.
Surprisingly, the metal pistol appeared to be remarkably well preserved, but most of the wood from the ship has deteriorated - eaten away by marine organisms.
For those onshore, the expedition brought underwater technological progress into the fore, as cameras peering into the gloom beamed live, high definition pictures from the bottom of the Mediterranean to the internet.
Mini submarines Hercules and Argus illuminated the gin clear water, as the vessels robotic tools, including a claw, gathered sediment samples, rocks and small sea animals.
Sea life probes included the exploration of an active area of clams and tubeworms on Eratosthenes seamount, which was followed by the discovery of a 2,300-2,500 year old shipwreck complete with a cargo consisting of a selection of ceramic vessels of a variety of sizes and shapes, including two pithoi. Two anchors, a possible bun ingot, and several unidentified artifacts were also photographed at the wreck site which measured 30 metres long and 10 metres wide.
The crew contacted scholars from Harvard University and Wheaton College, who are conducting research on the identification of the shipwreck. Based on the types of ceramics found on the site, they currently estimate that the wreck dates to the 4th century BC.
Altogether, over 160 artifacts have been recorded, logged and photographed by geologists and marine biologists since the project began early August.
Cameras also captured the extent of the rubbish strewn across the seafloor, which included everything from sun beds to garbage thrown from ships.
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| Bathymetric features south of Cyprus [Credit: Wikipedia] |
“We very interested in the side of the seamount, because methane gas in solution is coming out of the side of it and this is triggering a whole life system – a chemosynthetic life system, similar to what we discovered in Galapagos in 1977. We have an amazing ecosystem living in this environment.”
Many viewers had their breath taken away when cameras revealed a huge shark crossing the ship’s path - that together with live pictures of mating squid and fossilised whale bones made for fascinating viewing.
The entire expedition has centered on the unique geological features of the Eratosthenes Seamount, which is one of the largest features on the Eastern Mediterranean seafloor.
“Eratosthenes is a very unique feature – this area was once above sea level. It’s a mountain that is flat topped – which makes it odd to begin with as most mountains aren’t flat. We’ve also found a geologic formation that does not fit at Eratosthenes. We thought this entire region was capped by limestone, but we’ve found what looks like volcanic rock, has been injected – so there are lots of things going on here,” Ballard added.
Nautilus is now preparing to head north to the Southeast Aegean Sea near Bodrum in Turkey. The ship will soon be fitted with a state-of-the art $2.5 million sonar system, which will enable the team to produce accurate maps of the seafloor.
“The sonar is big and it can make detailed maps. If you’re an explorer, you want a map. Up until now we feel as if we have been operating off Broadway and now we are ready for Broadway – we are ready to go on a journey around the world to go where no one has gone before, because we will be able to make maps by June next year – we are very excited about that.”
Ballard is best known for leading the team that discovered the RMS Titanic in 1985, he also found the wrecks of the battleship Bismarck and the World War II torpedo patrol boat that John F Kennedy commanded.
Last month he helped to locate the bodies of two Turkish pilots after their jet was shot down by Syria. His R/V Nautilus ship spent a week in the waters between Syria and Cyprus searching for pieces of the plane’s wreckage.
Author: Nathan Morley | Source: Cyprus Mail [August 26, 2012]