With no end in sight to the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. government is seeking a blockbuster solution, recruiting "Avatar" and "Titanic" film director James Cameron's help.
Cameron was in Washington to meet with scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency and other officials about how to stop the environmental calamity.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the brainstorming session was heavily technical in nature and was attended by mostly marine biologists, engineers and physicists.
The Canadian-born Cameron attended the meeting with deep-ocean expert Phil Nuyteen, president of Vancouver-based Nuytco Research, a world leader in underwater technology.
"Today's meeting is part of the federal government's ongoing efforts to hear from stakeholders, scientists and experts from academia, government and the private sector as we continue to respond to the BP oil spill," the EPA said in a statement.
Cameron is considered a leading expert in underwater filming and remote vehicle technology, pioneering underwater filming techniques not only on "Titanic" but on documentaries such "Ghosts of the Abyss" and "Aliens of the Deep."
After the "top kill" operation failed last week, BP is now attempting to cut the leaking pipe and seal it with a tightly placed cap. The company has said their latest attempt could work within a day.
The company is also digging two relief wells, but they will not be completed until at least August, meaning millions more barrels of crude will continue to spew into the Gulf if a speedier solution isn't found.
