Core Insights - China is actively conducting oceanic scientific research with four research teams exploring various regions of the ocean, showcasing significant achievements since the 1970s [1] Group 1: Research Activities - The "Deep Sea No. 1" vessel, equipped with the "Jiaolong" manned submersible, is conducting a scientific expedition in the western Pacific, focusing on ecological surveys of hydrothermal areas and investigations in marine geology, chemistry, biology, and physics [1] - The "Jiaolong" submersible has completed its 419th dive, reaching depths exceeding 4000 meters, marking the operational phase of the "one ship, dual submersible" model [1] - The China Ocean 91 expedition is conducting resource and environmental surveys in the polymetallic nodule contract area, providing essential data for future mining equipment environmental impact assessments [1] Group 2: Future Missions - The China Ocean 95 expedition, set to begin on February 13, is heading to the southwestern Indian Ocean for polymetallic sulfide resource exploration and environmental baseline surveys, which will yield critical data for resource evaluation and environmental assessments [2] - The chief scientist of the expedition highlighted that exploring seabed sulfides and conducting environmental evaluations is an international challenge, with China employing advanced technologies for precise exploration of sulfide resources [2]

Core Viewpoint - The China Ocean 95 expedition is set to conduct scientific research in the Southwest Indian Ocean, focusing on the evaluation of resources and environmental conditions in the first international seabed sulfide mining area approved by the International Seabed Authority, which is also China's only sulfide mining area in international waters [1][6]. Group 1: Expedition Overview - The China Ocean 95 expedition is organized by the Second Institute of Oceanography under the Ministry of Natural Resources and is approved by the China Ocean Affairs Administration [1]. - The expedition will utilize multiple sets of domestically developed deep-sea advanced equipment to conduct comprehensive investigations of geological and ecological environments in the deep-sea hydrothermal area [1][3]. Group 2: Scientific Goals - The chief scientist of the expedition, Tao Chunhui, emphasized that the exploration and environmental assessment of seabed sulfides is an international challenge, and the use of advanced technologies will facilitate detailed exploration of resource quantities in the mining area [3]. - The first segment chief scientist, Liao Shili, stated that the data and samples collected during this expedition will provide critical support for resource evaluation in the contracted area and will be essential for future deep-sea mining efforts [5]. Group 3: Expedition Details - The expedition is being carried out on the "Daiyang" vessel, which was independently designed and built in China, and involves 36 team members from 13 domestic institutions [6]. - The expedition is expected to complete its tasks and return to China by April of this year [6].