On the afternoon of March 28th, 2024, the research vessel TAN SUO YI HAO returned to Sanya, carrying the Full-Ocean-Depth HOV Fendouzhe. It successfully completed the first China-Indonesia joint deep-sea diving scientific expedition voyage mission in the Java Trench. The trench exploration team set sail from Sanya on February 8th and the voyage lasted for 50 days. The team members were from 11 institutions, including the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency, Halmahera University in Indonesia, Hanggadu University in Indonesia, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Hainan Tropical Ocean University.
This voyage is co-supported by the key special project of the "14th Five-Year Plan" National Key R&D Program on "Key Technologies and Equipment for Deep Sea and Polar Regions", the "Global Trench Deep Dive Exploration Program" of the International Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the "Deep Sea Trench Scientific Exploration and Equipment Sea Task Shared Voyage" project of the Hainan Deep Sea Technology Innovation Center. Led and implemented by the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, this voyage represents the first international large-scale and systematic manned deep-sea diving scientific expedition conducted in the Java Trench.
Full-Ocean-Depth HOV Fendouzhe completed 22 dives in the Java Trench, of which 14 dives reached over 6,000 meters water depth. Six dive missions were jointly conducted by scientific team members from China and Indonesia. The joint chief scientists from China and Indonesia together completed a dive to the deepest point of the Java Trench at 7,180.4 meters (Measured by the depth gauge mounted on the submersible), creating a new deep-sea diving record for Indonesia.The voyage obtained a batch of valuable samples including macrobenthos, rocks, and sediments, as well as high-definition videos and photos. A total of over 200 macrobenthos specimens were collected, including multiple new trench species.
The joint deep-sea diving expedition in the Java Trench has opened a new chapter for strengthened marine cooperation between China and Indonesia. While also serving as a key component of the "Global Trench Deep Dive Exploration Program" initiated by the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, this expedition will further deepen the understanding of global trench geological and biological processes and Earth system evolution. It holds significant importance for promoting the high-quality development of China's Belt and Road Initiative and building a community with a shared future for mankind.(CCTV reporter Zheng Weiwei)
