On the morning of November 25th, with the continuous sound of a steam whistle, Xiangyanghong 9, the experimental mother ship carrying the manned submersible Jiaolong departed from the Jiangyin South Jiangsu International Terminal to the Southwest Indian Ocean. Its mission was to implement the second and third segmented tasks assigned to the Jiaolong 2014-2015 submersible experimental voyage (the 35thvoyage to the China Ocean ). JIANG Tao, a teacher from the School of Marine and Earth Science, participated in this scientific expedition.
This voyage is scheduled to last for 120 days. The target area is located in COMRA polymetallic sulfide contract zone of the Southwest Indian Ocean. The main task is to conduct research concerning polymetallic sulfide resources, biological diversity and related life processes and to determine the basic resource potential of hydrothermal microorganisms in the polymetallic sulfide exploration area. There lies a great challenge in this scientific expedition: on one hand, the scientific expedition area is seated above the mid-ocean ridge and therefore, it is dangerous for the Jiaolong submersible to dive and operate. On the other hand, the rear support cannot be guaranteed because the Southwest Indian Ocean is more than 10,000 kilometers from China.
This voyage will be supplied halfway through its journey in Mauritius Port Louis. Professor ZHOU Huaiyang, from School of Marine and Earth Science, will lead team members who go on board in Mauritius and will participate in the second and third research segments. In addition, YU Hongjun, director of Ocean Survey Base Management Center, State Oceanic Administration, said that an open house will be held during the stop of the Jiaolong andXiangyanghong 9in Mauritius. People from all walks of life may come to visit and interact with the aquanauts and scientific expedition personnel. The Xiangyanghong 9 is expected to accomplish its scientific research and then return to Qingdao on March 19, 2015.
Translated by May Language Studio based upon
http://news.tongji.edu.cn/classid-8-newsid-45349-t-show.html
