Why did Transport Canada (TC) provide no regulatory oversight of Titan, despite the submersible operating from a Canadian port and being supported by Canadian vessels?

A. Titan was not registered with any flag state, and under Canada's risk-based framework, vessels below the certification/tonnage threshold (or unregistered/uncertified) receive oversight only if TC becomes aware of specific concerns

B. Transport Canada lacks any legal jurisdiction over foreign-owned vessels operating from Canadian ports

C. Submersibles are explicitly excluded from the definition of 'vessel' under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001

D. OceanGate had a valid Bahamas flag registration that pre-empted Canadian oversight

A. A sphere distributes external hydrostatic pressure evenly across its surface, avoiding stress concentrations

B. A sphere is cheaper to manufacture from carbon fibre

C. A cylindrical hull cannot be pressure-tested before sea trials

D. A sphere allows a higher passenger capacity for the same hull weight

A. They were never validated to confirm they matched the theoretical values used in the original design

B. They exceeded design specification and provided an additional safety margin

C. They were validated by an independent classification society prior to first dive

D. They matched design values but degraded only after the fifth dive