Four Chinese ocean expeditions press on during Spring Festival

Four Chinese scientific research teams are carrying out ocean expeditions during the Spring Festival holiday, pressing ahead with deep-sea exploration across the Pacific and Indian oceans.

In the western Pacific, research vessel Shenhai Yihao, or Deep Sea No. 1, which carries the manned deep-sea submersible Jiaolong, is on a mission.

On Monday, Jiaolong completed its 419th dive – the eighth in the current voyage – reaching depths of more than 4,000 meters.

During the mission, Jiaolong will conduct ecological surveys in hydrothermal vent areas and carry out investigations in marine geology, chemistry, biology and physics.

The mission pairs Jiaolong with a remotely operated vehicle, with both submersibles operating routinely from the same vessel. 

Shenhai Yihao is China's first support vessel for manned submersibles. In September 2025, the ship carried Jiaolong to complete China's first crewed deep-sea dive in the Arctic Ocean.

Elsewhere, China's Dayang-95 ocean expedition team set sail from Shenzhen on February 13 for the Indian Ocean, where researchers will explore seabed sulfide deposits and assess resource reserves in the mining area.

In the northwestern Pacific, Dayang-91 ocean expedition team is conducting environmental and resource surveys in a polymetallic nodule exploration area operated by a Chinese deep-sea resource development company. 

Researchers have obtained data on resource distribution and winter environmental parameters, which are expected to support future environmental impact assessments for mining equipment.

Meanwhile, in the northwestern Indian Ocean, the Dayang-94 ocean expedition crew is carrying out water column studies.

Scientists are examining how human activity and climate change are affecting marine environmental shifts and oxygen depletion, as well as the mechanisms driving biodiversity changes and adaptation, with the aim of supporting conservation efforts in the region.