Four Chinese scientific research teams are conducting simultaneous ocean expeditions during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, marking a significant push in deep-sea exploration across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. These missions highlight China's growing capabilities in marine research and resource assessment as global interest in oceanic ecosystems intensifies.
In the western Pacific, the research vessel Shenhai Yihao (Deep Sea No. 1) continues its groundbreaking work with the manned submersible Jiaolong, which completed its 419th dive this week at depths exceeding 4,000 meters. The current mission focuses on ecological surveys of hydrothermal vent systems while collecting multidisciplinary data in geology, chemistry, and marine biology.
The Dayang-95 team, departing Shenzhen on February 13, is currently analyzing seabed sulfide deposits in the Indian Ocean to evaluate mining potential. Meanwhile, the Dayang-91 crew in the northwestern Pacific gathers critical winter environmental data for future deep-sea mining impact assessments. In parallel, the Dayang-94 expedition studies climate change effects on oxygen levels and biodiversity patterns in the northwestern Indian Ocean.
Notably, the Shenhai Yihao made history in September 2025 by completing China's first crewed dive in the Arctic Ocean. Current operations employ an innovative dual-submersible approach, pairing Jiaolong with a remotely operated vehicle to maximize research efficiency.
