The man whose research team discovered the wreckage of the Titanic has now turned his attention to the deepest trough of the Caribbean Sea. Dr. Robert Ballard was aboard a 211-foot (64-meter) research vessel with dozens of other scientists to probe the Cayman Trough this week and collect samples of organisms they say might reveal how life might exist on other planets. On Thursday, the team was using remotely operated vehicles that have so far captured a dumbo octopus, named for its two ear-like fins; a sea cucumber with an unidentified appendage; and various invertebrates living around hydrothermal vents that can reach temperatures of more than 400 Celsius (752 Fahrenheit).

Scientists explore deepest trough in the Caribbean Sea on Nautilus. (2013, August 24). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A19.