On August 10, the “Deep Sea No. 1” scientific expedition vessel alongside the “Jiaolong” manned submersible to sail from the Qingdao National Deep Sea Base to embark on the 2024 West Pacific international voyage (the second leg of China Ocean Voyage No. 86). It is the first internationally shared voyage under the Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats Programme (Digital DEPTH), in which the “Jiaolong” manned submersible will dive for the first time with foreign scientists on board.

The voyage is focused on conducting investigations on seamounts, a top priority of the Digital DEPTH. The ocean expedition, which is estimated to last 45 days, has drawn the participation of 60 members, comprising researchers from 12 organizations such as the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ocean University of China and Hong Kong Baptist University and eight foreign scientists from Colombia, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, etc.

Initiated by the China Ocean Affairs Administration, the Digital DEPTH programme involves the participation of experts in 64 institutions in 39 countries and regions across six continents. As the sole programme on big science in the fourth action plan ratified by the UN Ocean Decade, the programme will pave a solid foundation for China to improve global deep-sea governance capacity. (Li Xunxiang)

The “Deep Sea No. 1” departs from Qingdao. By Han Xing