science · 18 July 1986 · 38 years ago
In 1986, videotapes, taken by the deep-sea Alvin submersible, showing Titanic's remains were released. Looking like huge stalagmites rusticles ("rust icicles"), are a byproduct of the bacteria slowly converting the iron in the hull. The colony of iron-eating bacteria flourish in the anaerobic (without oxygen) environment inside the hollow multi-layered rusticles while on the outside, porous layers support oxygen-dependent bacteria. In this eerie way, there is still life on the Titanic as the ship lies deep on the ocean floor.
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