The Titanic's deterioration is evidenced in a new video. "A portion of the wreck is rapidly deteriorating and may soon disappear."
The alarm was raised by an international team of explorers, who examined images of the ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean on the night between 14 and 15 April 1912, due to a collision with an iceberg.
The corrosion of the Titanic
The video footage, shot from a submersible at a depth of 3800 meters, shows a wreck almost completely covered by large sponges, polychaetes, and other animals. The officers' quarters are deteriorating due to salt corrosion, ocean currents, and bacteria. The last footage of the wreck was taken 14 years ago.
The Titanic, the world's largest passenger ship at its time, departed Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. The 1317 passengers (plus 885 crew members) were scheduled to arrive in New York seven days later. The sinking claimed the lives of over 1500 people.
