Chinese research team returns from West Pacific deep-sea expedition

(ECNS) -- China's research ship Tansuo-1, carrying four researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, returned to Sanya, Hainan Province after finishing a deep-sea expedition to the West Pacific Ocean on Friday.

During the expedition, China-built deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe (Striver) completed eight dives, two of which exceeded a depth of 10,000 meters and three that exceeded 9,000 meters.

It reached the Challenge Deep, the deepest area of the Mariana Trench, as well as an unknown area 8,919 meters deep in the Yap Trench, which has never been visited by human beings.

Precious samples from more than 200 sites, including water, sediment, rock samples, and micro-organisms were collected by the team.

It also measured a series of environmental parameters that are valuable for deep-water ecological research.