Chinese manned submersible Jiaolong conducts first dives in Atlantic

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China's independently developed manned submersible Jiaolong. /CFP

China's independently developed manned submersible Jiaolong has completed its first dives in the Atlantic Ocean during the country's 83rd ocean expedition, said China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA) on Tuesday.

The submersible had made 23 successful dives in the southern Atlantic Ocean by February 23, and set a new record of nine dives in nine days.

Jiaolong has carried out detailed and efficient operations in multiple hydrothermal areas with complex environments, obtaining about 300 geological and biological samples and some 4 terabytes of environmental data and visual materials, said the COMRA.

China's 83rd ocean expedition sees the first time that its manned submersible has carried out diving operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

The findings preliminarily confirmed a high degree of similarity between the hydrothermal biological communities in the southern Atlantic Ocean and that in the northern area.

A survey of the seamount ecosystem in the southern Atlantic Ocean was also carried out during the expedition.

The findings have filled gaps in the biodiversity survey of the southern Atlantic Ocean and will help the world understand, protect and utilize the deep sea in an improved manner, the COMRA said.

The Shenhai Yihao vessel, mother ship for the submersible Jiaolong. /CFP

The 83rd expedition began on December 17, 2023 when the Shenhai Yihao research vessel carrying Jiaolong departed from Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province. It is scheduled to return to the port in Qingdao this May.

The submersible is scheduled to conduct a total of 46 dives in the course of the expedition.

(With input from Xinhua)