James Cameron is planning to pilot a submarine that will plunge the depths of the Mariana Trench, Reuters has revealed. The famed film director is normally accustomed to creating fantasy adventures on screen but now, he will be embarking on a unique adventure of his own.

The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of Guam. Its deepest point is known as Challenger Deep and it is this part of the trench that Cameron plans to navigate, collecting samples for marine biology and geology studies as he goes. The explorative expedition is a joint venture between James Cameron and National Geographic, as well as the watchmaker, Rolex. Cameron is quoted as saying "The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration," in a statement that could easily double up as a promo spiel for one of his adventure movies.

Whilst Cameron is perhaps best known for his globally successful films, such as Titanic, Avatar and Aliens but his latest venture will represent "breakthroughs in materials science, structural engineering and imaging through an ultra-small, full ocean depth-rated stereoscopic." Not only did the director make a huge success of the film Titanic, he has also taken 12 dives to the notorious shipwreck, which led him into developing deep sea filming techniques. He's also led dives to the Bismarck wreck site and carried out 3-D imaging of hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Rise, the Sea of Cortez and the Mid Atlantic Ridge. If his latest adventure is a success, Cameron could well find himself hailed as a hero in the worlds of science and geography, just as he is the film industry. Specific