The China Geological Survey has recently released the results of marine geological surveys conducted over nearly 20 years in China's eastern waters, including the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

Based on systematic research, Chinese researchers have produced a geochemical atlas of seabed sediments in China's eastern waters, providing precise data to support coastal and marine spatial planning, ecological and environmental protection and resource exploration.

Researchers integrated surface sediment measurements with machine learning data from more than 20,000 sampling sites, forming the most extensive, multidimensional and reliable geochemical dataset to date for China's eastern waters.

The study achieved a comprehensive geochemical analysis of sediments in China's eastern waters, spanning the entire process from land to sea and essentially giving the seabed a thorough "elemental checkup."

According to Dou Yanguang, a researcher from the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology under the China Geological Survey, the distribution of elements can contribute to the rapid identification of polluted areas and ecologically sensitive zones in the sea and also help precisely locate seabed mineral resources.

The research has filled a gap in the systematic geochemical mapping of seabed sediments in China's eastern waters and enhanced the country's academic influence in global marginal sea research.