On May 11, the “Deep Blue Voyager 2035” 2026 Western Pacific Ocean Expedition successfully concluded, with the research team returning to Shenzhen safely. Lasting 45 days, the voyage was jointly initiated by the Southern University of Science and Technology’s (SUSTech) Advanced Institute for Ocean Research (AIOR), which also served as the secretariat. The institute participated throughout the entire process in scientific planning and led the establishment of the deep-sea sample repository, delivering crucial support for the successful implementation of the expedition.

This mission was undertaken by the scientific research vessel “Xiangyanghong 10,” with Dr. Xinyuan WEI from SUSTech serving as the leg captain. He led 32 scientific research team members from 16 institutions across the country to conduct multidisciplinary, comprehensive investigations in key areas of the western Pacific Ocean. During the expedition, the team successfully carried out Argo floats, submerged buoys, and recovery operations, providing crucial validation for deep-sea equipment testing and dynamic process research. The team completed CTD seawater sampling, gravity core and box sediment sampling, and successfully obtained precious trawl rock samples in the Godzilla Megamullion Province of the eastern Philippine Sea Basin (which has the world’s largest exposed seafloor detachment fault), providing important scientific evidence for revealing the structure and chemical composition of the Earth’s oceanic crust and mantle, as well as the effect of mantle serpentinization on carbon dioxide sequestration.

As the host institution of the secretariat for the “Deep Blue Voyager 2035” Program, SUSTech’s AIOR led the establishment of the first deep-sea sample repository in Shenzhen, which has been put into trial operation. The valuable samples and data collected during this expedition, including fixed-point in situ seawater, sediment, and rock samples, as well as multibeam seabed topography, are all incorporated into this repository. The professional team at the AIOR carries out standardized management and long-term preservation to provide stable support for subsequent deep-sea research.