National Geographic And James Cameron Team For Underwater 3D Doc 'Deepsea Challenge'

Earlier today you may have seen news that James Cameron plans to take a state of the art single-user submersible to Challenger Deep, known as the lowest point of the Mariana Trench north of Papua New Guinea. That spot was reached once by a manned craft, for about 20 minutes in 1960. If so, you likely won't be surprised to learn that Cameron will be taking cameras along, and that the entire venture will be co-sponsored by National Geographic for a 3D documentary called Deepsea Challenge.

NatGeo announces that the project is intended "to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet."

If things go well, Cameron will spend six hours at Challenger Deep, collecting samples "for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics."

Cameron said,

The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration. National Geographic, which has been exploring the world for nearly 125 years, is the ideal partner to help usher in a new era of deep-ocean research and exploration that supports leading scientific institutions in answering questions about the deepest, unexplored parts of the Earth. Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It's also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce.

The press release says,

The "Deepsea Challenge" expedition will be chronicled for a 3-D feature film on the intensive technological and scientific efforts behind this historic dive. The event will be documented for the National Geographic Channel and National Geographic magazine. Cameron also will collaborate with National Geographic to create broad-based educational outreach materials.

You'll be able to get more information at www.deepseachallenge.com; on Twitter by following @DeepChallenge or using #deepseachallenge; or on Facebook.