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Rapid Descent and Structural Collapse
As the ship sank:
Water rushed violently through the interior
Air pockets collapsed
Decks crumpled under pressure
Internal structures imploded
Many bodies would have been:
Crushed
Moved violently through the ship
Forced out through openings as the hull broke apart
By the time the wreck reached the ocean floor, the ship was no longer an intact vessel—it was a torn, twisted structure.
The Role of Deep-Sea Pressure
At Titanic’s depth, pressure is approximately 400 times greater than at sea level.
While pressure alone does not “crush” a human body like an empty can, it does:
Accelerate tissue breakdown
Destroy air-filled cavities
Prevent normal preservation processes
Any remains inside the ship would have been exposed to these conditions for decades.
The Chemistry of Seawater and Human Bones
Here’s where the explanation becomes especially important.
Calcium Carbonate and Bone Dissolution
Human bones are largely made of calcium phosphate, but they are protected by collagen and other organic materials. In shallow water, bones can last centuries. In deep ocean environments, however, something different happens.
At depths below roughly 1,000 meters, seawater becomes undersaturated in calcium carbonate. This means:
Calcium-based materials dissolve over time
Shells, coral, and bones gradually break down
The deeper the water, the faster this dissolution occurs
Titanic lies far below this threshold.
Over decades, bones exposed to deep-sea chemistry simply dissolve.
This is one of the primary reasons no skeletons remain.
Deep-Sea Scavengers: Nature’s Clean-Up Crew
Another major factor is biological.
The deep ocean is not lifeless. It is home to a variety of organisms adapted to cold, darkness, and pressure.
Scavengers That Consume Organic Matter
After the sinking, bodies that reached the ocean floor would have attracted:
Crabs
Shrimp
Hagfish
Eels
Deep-sea worms
Bacteria
These organisms consume soft tissue efficiently.
Over time:
Flesh is eaten
Ligaments decay
Bones are exposed
Bones eventually dissolve
This process can take years or decades, but given the Titanic has been underwater for more than 110 years, it is more than sufficient.
