James Cameron donates Deepsea Challenger submarine to science

James Cameron has donated the one-man submarine within which he descended to the bottom of the planet's deepest chasm last year to the largest independent oceanographic research institution in the USA.

The Oscar-winning director of Titanic and Avatar will hand over the Deepsea Challenger sub to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in an announcement timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of his historic dive into the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench. WHOI will use the submarine's technological advances in the organisation's ongoing efforts to build new and ever-more-effective deep-sea research vehicles.

"The seven years we spent designing and building the Deepsea Challenger were dedicated to expanding the options available to deep-ocean researchers," said Cameron in a joint statement. "Our sub is a scientific proof-of-concept, and our partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a way to provide the technology we developed to the oceanographic community."

He added: "WHOI is a world leader in deep submergence, both manned and unmanned. I've been informally associated with WHOI for more than 20 years, and I welcome this opportunity to formalise the relationship with the transfer of the Deepsea Challenger submersible system and science platform. WHOI is a place where the Deepsea Challenger system will be a living, breathing and dynamic programme going forward."