At around 11:00 a.m. Beijing time on August 18th, Jiaolong, China's first independently designed and integrated 7,000-meter-class manned submersible, completed its 300th dive and also announced the successful end of its maiden mission at the first operation site in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The Jiaolong's initial dive took place on an as-yet-unnamed seamount in the Western Pacific Ocean. The main objectives were to observe and document the distribution of marine life from the slopes to the summit of the seamount, collect data on organisms, seawater, geological samples, and other environmental parameters, and conduct a comprehensive test of the submersible's various functions.
After more than six hours, the Jiaolong returned from the deep sea along with 4K videos and a series of samples collected by various tools, including a siphon sampler, aquatic nets, and an in-situ microbial enrichment device. The samples included golden starfish, sponges with black corals, and deep-water corals with vine-like orange-yellow structures.
Over the next 30 days, the Jiaolong will carry out an additional 17 dives, transporting both Chinese and international scientists to the deep sea. Together, they will explore and advance the conservation and sustainable use of deep-sea biodiversity.
Planner | Cao Si
Coordinator | Zhang Zhe, Liu Zikui, Li Hengdan
Text | Fu Qianying
Hand-Drawn Illustration/Animation | Zhang Ruiwei, Chen Mingji
English editor | Yu Lulu, Monica, James
Video editor | Wiingheng
