MYSTIC, Conn. — Oceanographer Robert Ballard, best known for discovering the Titanic wreck, has new plans to plumb the depths of the seas.
Ballard said Thursday that his latest deep-sea venture will send crews combing through the Black, Aegean and Mediterranean seas for artifacts from shipwrecks and ancient civilizations.
His research vessel, the E/V Nautilus, set out from a port in Turkey last week on a four- month mission that will use four remote-operated vehicles and sonar technology to explore lost cities, as well as hydrothermal vents and undersea volcanoes.
At a news conference at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, Ballard said that while he has a general idea of what his crew might find, the exploration is about looking for the unknown.
“We’re fascinated by extremely confusing parts of our planet, and we say, ‘Let’s go there and see if we can figure it out,’ ” said Ballard, a co-leader of the mission who is planning to join the ship later.
The 211-foot ship, carrying a team of about 15 scientists, will travel through waters that include the Hellenic and Aeolian arcs, the Gorringe bank and the Straits of Sicily — a course that will take it near deep trenches, continental faults and cities under the surface of the Mediterranean that are more than 2,000 years old. The journey is expected to wrap up in November off the coast of Israel.
Ballard, 69, said his ship will dispatch video and audio feeds from this newest venture to connect with the public as he pursues new discoveries. The material will be available online and at a theater at Mystic Aquarium, and teams of educators will rotate aboard the ship to host information sessions and explain the latest finds.
