Interviews: Ask James Cameron About The Deepsea Challenge 3D Movie

Starting at 5:15 am local time on March 26, 2012, James Cameron piloted the Deepsea Challenger to the east depression of the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. He spent three hours exploring the sea floor. Later analysis of the specimens Cameron collected during this and other dives in the submersible revealed many life forms, with at least 100 of them identified as new species. One shrimp-like amphipod was found to produce a compound that was already in clinical trials to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The Deepsea Challenger submersible and science platform was donated to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on March 26, 2013, the one-year anniversary of the historic dive. A new National Geographic film chronicling the project from the beginning called, Deepsea Challenge 3D, is coming out August 8th in select theaters. Here's your chance to ask James Cameron and director John Bruno about the film, the dive, and the submersible. As usual, ask as many questions as you'd like, but please, one per post.

Comments

what cannot be experienced on screen

[turkeydance]

what one sensation makes this exploration different? pressure? smell?

Any surprises?

[amanaplanacanalpanam]

What were you surprised by most in the course of this entire project, and in the environment at the trench floor?

What's next?

[Nidi62]

First of all, you have done some amazing work and brought back incredibly interesting and, at times, (in the case of Titanic) haunting images.

That being said, having reached the Challenger Deep-what do you plan to do next: do you want to return to the deepest part of the ocean, or do you find yourself drawn to a new destination(and what challenges do you expect to face in reaching that destination)?

How rigorous was the training, and was it enough?

[Anonymous Coward]

Mr. Cameron:

I know you've had a long-time interest in undersea exploration, but you've been busy doing things like making films for much of your life, rather than (say) being a full-time submersible pilot. Could you please talk a bit about the training you undertook to control the craft? (It's all one *big* question, but it comes with some small ones -- Did you use a simulator beforehand? Are there differences in the control mechanisms between this and other underwater vessels you've used? How many hours did you practice either on-land or at easier depths first? Did the vessel react in the deepest parts as you expected it to, or were there hairy moments?)

Thanks for your insight!

How can we inspire humanity to respect the ocean?

[See Attached]

Too often, the ocean is seen as an infinite resource that we are free to plunder at will, and to absorb our garbage with no consequence. How can we get people to respect the ocean as a huge part of the canvas that supports our life directly? How to balance the pursuits of fishing against the need to maintain a breed stock? One day we may realize that the perfect net does not catch all the fish, but thats still a ways off, it seems.

trash

[ganjadude]

James, You have been on the bottom of the ocean a number of times over your career. We all are aware of the great pacific garbage patch. My question is have you come across any trash on the bottom of the trench? ( My assumption is yes) and if so, what is the strangest thing you have seen down there wondering how it may have got there??