China Ocean Voyage 83 is the first time that a manned submersible has carried out diving operations in the Atlantic, and it is also the first time that Jiaolong and its support mother ship Shenhai 1 have carried out deep-sea surveys and studies in the Atlantic. (Photo courtesy of China Ocean Affairs Administration).
Jiaolong, China's first manned submersible to dive in the Atlantic, has completed 23 dives in the South Atlantic Ocean and set a new record of nine dives in nine days.
The reporter learned from the China Ocean Affairs Administration on February 27 that the first leg of the China Ocean 83 voyage carried out by the "Shenhai No. 1" ship focused on the hydrothermal area of the South Atlantic Middle Ridge. As of February 23, Jiaolong has successfully completed 23 dives in the South Atlantic, setting a new record of nine dives in nine days. At present, the "Jiaolong" is in good technical condition, and has carried out fine investigation and efficient operation in a number of hydrothermal areas with complex environments such as Tongguan and Xunmei, and has obtained about 300 geological and biological samples and about 4TB of environmental and visual data.
China Ocean Voyage 83 is the first time that a manned submersible has carried out diving operations in the Atlantic, and it is also the first time that Jiaolong and its support mother ship Shenhai 1 have carried out deep-sea surveys and studies in the Atlantic. For the first time, a detailed survey of manned deep diving was carried out in multiple hydrothermal areas such as Tongguan and Xunmei in the South Atlantic, and typical biological groups of hydrothermal areas such as blind shrimp and mussels were obtained, which preliminarily confirmed that the hydrothermal biota in the South Atlantic Ocean has a high degree of similarity with the North Atlantic, and extended the southern boundary of the hydrothermal biota of the Atlantic Ocean to the south by 1300 km (from 15°S to 27°S).
During the same period, the survey of the seamount ecosystem in the South Atlantic was carried out, and a number of high-value areas of biodiversity such as coral forests and sponge lands were initially discovered, which provided scientific support for the identification of biodiversity hotspots in the South Atlantic. The results of this voyage fill the gap in the survey of biodiversity in the South Atlantic, enrich the understanding of global deep-sea biodiversity, and effectively support the research on the formation mechanism of global deep-sea biogeographic distribution pattern, and help human beings better understand, protect and utilize the deep-sea.
China Ocean Voyage 83 set sail from Qingdao on December 17 last year, and during the Spring Festival, 60 members of the scientific expedition team spent a special holiday with the "Shenhai No. 1" ship in the South Atlantic Ocean thousands of miles away, accompanied by the "Jiaolong" manned submersible, a heavy weapon of the country. (Reporter Wang Libin).