Chinese manned submersible conducts first dives in Atlantic

BEIJING -- Jiaolong, China's deep-sea manned submersible, has completed its first dives in the Atlantic Ocean, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Natural Resources announced on Tuesday.

Jiaolong made 23 successful dives in the southern Atlantic Ocean by Feb 23, and carried out operations in multiple hydrothermal zones with complex environments, according to the subsidiary, the bureau of ocean affairs.

The submersible has obtained approximately 300 geological and biological samples, as well as some 4 terabytes of environmental data and visual materials.

Its 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 bureau said.

Jiaolong is being carried by China's Deep Sea No 1 research vessel, which embarked from Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on Dec 17, 2023, and is scheduled to return to China in May 2024. The submersible is scheduled to conduct a total of 46 dives in the course of the expedition.