Returning to the Abyss
January 25, 2010
Ocean ‘X Factor’ to reach deepest point will net £6m.
Fifty years ago today two men sealed themselves inside a tiny steel sphere and were lowered over the side of a ship in the Western Pacific. For the next four hours they dropped steadily down through the ocean depths. A porthole cracked, shaking the craft, but they continued. Within another hour they reached the deepest point in the ocean, 11 kilometres down.
No human has returned since then, prevented by the high cost and technological challenges of withstanding the crushing pressures in the deep. But later this year the X Prize foundation will offer at least $10 million (£6 million) for the first privately funded craft to make two repeat visits to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
According to Francis Beland, a senior adviser for the Ocean X Prize, among the likely contenders are Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, and James Cameron, the director of Titanic, The Abyss and Avatar. Both men are passionate about ocean exploration.
BB-Films comment: Coming soon via live feed to an Imax theatre near you!
From Times online: Full Article
Diving the Twighlight Zone
March 11, 2009
In this video talk from TED.com, Richard Pyle presents thriving life on the cliffs of coral reefs and groundbreaking diving technologies he has pioneered to explore it. He and his team risk everything to reveal the secrets of undiscovered species.
A pioneer of the dive world, Richard Pyle discovers new biodiversity on the cliffs of coral reefs. He was among the first to use rebreather technology to explore depths between 200 and 500 feet, an area often called the “Twilight Zone.” During his dives, he has identified and documented hundreds of new species. Author of scientific, technical and popular articles, his expeditions have also been featured in the IMAX film Coral Reef Adventure, the BBC series Pacific Abyss and many more. In 2005, he received the NOGI Award, the most prestigious distinction of the diving world.
Currently, he is continuing his research at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, outside Honolulu, Hawai’i, and is affiliated with the museum’s comprehensive Hawaii Biological Survey. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Marine Exploration, of which he is a founding member. He continues to explore the sea and spearhead rebreather technology, and is a major contributor to the Encyclopedia of Life.
