China sends international crew on mission to explore underwater mountains in submersible

Foreign scientists will get a close look at the sprawling Magellan Seamounts on board the Jiaolong, which can dive up to 7,000 metres

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The Shenhai Yihao, mother ship of the Jiaolong submersible, will make a port call in Hong Kong next month during the return leg of the research mission. Photo: SCMP

Published: 8:12pm, 11 Aug 2024Updated: 8:13pm, 11 Aug 2024

A Chinese research ship has embarked on a deep-sea expedition with an international team on board, heading to the western Pacific on a mission to explore the ocean’s depths in one of the most advanced Chinese submersibles.

The 45-day mission, launched on Saturday, aims to explore seamounts – underwater mountains that are among the least-surveyed places on Earth.

The international crew of 60 aboard the Shenhai Yihao, the mother ship of the Jiaolong submersible, includes researchers from mainland China and Hong Kong as well as eight scientists from Australia, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Colombia

The non-mainland scientists will be led by Qiu Jianwen, professor and associate head of the biology department at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Shenhai Yihao and the Jiaolong will make a port call in Hong Kong from September 23 to 25 during the return leg of the trip. It will be the first time for the crewed submersible to visit Hong Kong.

The international team will get a close look at the sprawling Magellan Seamounts on board the Jiaolong, which can dive up to 7,000 metres (22,966 feet). Eighteen dives have been arranged for the mission, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The group of seamounts stretches east from the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s oceans. The location of the mission, in the waters between Japan and the island of New Guinea, was chosen due to its unique geological features, which may help scientists improve their understanding of biodiversity, topography, ocean island volcanoes, mineral resources and the impact of climate change and human activities.