Deep sea submarine retrieves marine life

China’s Jiaolong manned submersible finished its ninth dive of the 2024 Western Pacific International Voyage Scientific Expedition on Wednesday, retrieving five typical deep-sea marine life samples. The dive took place in an ocean basin in the West Pacific, reaching a maximum depth of 4,706 meters and lasting approximately five hours.

During the dive, scientists photographed about ten different species of sea sponges and collected samples of sea cucumber, starfish, coralline, and more. The International Voyage Scientific Expedition, estimated to last for 45 days, is organized by the National Deep Sea Center. For the first time, Jiaolong is scheduled to carry eight international scientists for underwater operation.