RMS Titanic Inc. (RMST) and the Michigan non-profit Center for Maritime & Underwater Resource Management (CMURM) are launching a major new research project, bringing together world-renowned experts to enhance the understanding and stewardship of the Titanic wreck site.
The initiative will leverage four decades of expedition documentation and incorporate cutting-edge data analysis to create a more complete picture of the debris field and the sinking event.
The effort expands upon the existing Titanic Mapping Project, which began in 2006. It aims to analyse clues about how the ship separated and spilled her contents onto the ocean floor, using updated maps, expert analysis, and advanced computer modelling to better explain the sinking and what has changed since.
Advancing Titanic Research
The project team will include data scientists from Michigan State University and veteran Titanic expedition experts. The team’s research scope includes several key actions:
- Improving the accuracy and completeness of debris field maps using information from past dives and new technology.
- Creating comparative diagrams of the ship identifying the origin points of artifacts.
- Conducting spatial analyses of recovered artifacts and artifacts remaining on the ocean floor.
- Completing a hydrodynamics study to model the descent of materials as they fell through the water column.
- Using this research to better understand the sinking and formation of the debris field.
RMST, which acts as the salvor-in-possession, states that the new research marks an exciting new chapter for the stewardship of the famous wreck.
“With nearly 40 years of stewardship in our role as salvor-in-possession, RMST continues to lead the global effort in advancing Titanic research, preserving the Ship’s legacy, and deepening public understanding of her story,” the company stated.
Plans are also underway for an exclusive event that will “unite leading experts, visionaries, and invited guests for an experience designed to shed new light on Titanic’s story and shape the future of maritime exploration.”
