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China's 4,000-meter deep-sea profile buoy "floating star" made breakthrough progress
China Instrument Network Instrument R&D recently reported that the "Floating Star" 4,000-meter deep-sea self-sustaining profiling buoy, independently developed by the Ocean Buoy Team at the Qingdao Ocean Engineering Research Institute of Tianjin University, has successfully completed its sea trial in China. This marks a significant milestone on the path toward practical application.
The deep-sea self-sustaining profiling buoy drifts with ocean currents, serving as an easy-to-dispose, compact, and cost-effective underwater observation platform. It can perform adaptive adjustment, automatic diving, deep hovering, and surface floating in any marine area. Depending on the type of sensor installed—such as CTD (temperature, salinity, depth), dissolved oxygen sensors, or ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler)—it can quickly, accurately, and comprehensively collect seawater profile data across the global ocean. This technology is essential for enhancing our understanding of the ocean and navigating it more effectively. It plays a vital role in ocean monitoring and exploration.
In recent years, many countries have initiated new deep-sea ocean observation programs, focusing on depths below 2,000 meters to gain strategic advantages in the next phase of deep-sea competition. However, China only officially joined the Global Ocean Observing System at the beginning of the 21st century.
On July 28, the research team deployed the buoy in waters approximately 4,000 meters deep in the northern part of the South China Sea. By August 8, it had operated continuously and stably for 26 sections, reaching a maximum depth of 3,550.3 meters and achieving a data transmission success rate of 99.9%. This successful trial further validated the feasibility of key technologies such as buoyancy propulsion, pressure design, and data acquisition and communication in the 4,000-meter deep sea. It also significantly advanced the practical development of self-sustaining profiling buoys in China's deep-sea environment.
The "Floating Star" 4,000-meter deep-sea self-sustaining profiling buoy was led by Professor Li Xingfei from the Qingdao Institute of Marine Engineering at Tianjin University. It received support from the special "Qianhai Plan" of the National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology in Qingdao.
(Source: Yangguang.com, Xinhuanet, Tianjin University)