James Cameron fans issued a collective sigh of disappointment when it was learned that the Avatar sequels wouldn’t hit for nearly half a decade, but there’s at least one thing to satiate this thirst during that interim. A press release from ComingSoon (via FirstShowing) informs us that Cameron will, through a partnership with National Geographic, return to Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep territory for Deepsea Challenge, a 3D documentary chronicling the director’s journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench — or, Earth’s deepest point.

Seven miles below the Ocean, Cameron will spend six hours exploring the area, “[collecting] samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics,” findings which will hopefully “expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.”

Unfortunately, National Geographic’s involvement means that Deepsea Challenge will be a television production, and that’s not exactly conducive to the 3D format. (Don’t expect me to buy a 3D TV, either.) Personally, I’d love to have something on par with the IMAX 3D presentation of Ghosts of the Abyss — one of the best uses of either format I’ve ever experienced. Maybe someone can get in contact with them?

Here are Cameron‘s comments on the project:

“The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration. National Geographic, which has been exploring the world for nearly 125 years, is the ideal partner to help usher in a new era of deep-ocean research and exploration that supports leading scientific institutions in answering questions about the deepest, unexplored parts of the Earth. Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It’s also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce.”

You can follow Deepsea Challenge through its official website, on Twitter, or on Facebook. You can even go for all three.

Will you be paying attention to Cameron’s latest documentary? Have you seen Ghosts of the Abyss or Aliens of the Deep, and if so, what were your thoughts?