China's submersible captures deep-sea lives in South China Sea

The discovery of brown mussels around the cold vent some 1,500 meters under water in South China Sea by the China's first submersible will help to support further research concerning the deep-sea biosphere and climate change, scientists said today.
Zhou Huaiyang, professor of the School of Marine and Earth Science at Tongji University who has become the first scientist to work on the submersible 'Jiaolong' as a crew member said the quality of the images obtained during the dive is the best ever achieved in extreme oceanic conditions using domestically produced equipment.
"The discovery of multiple sea bed dwellers, such as mussels and pilumnus crabs, will help to support further research concerning the deep-sea biosphere, gas hydrate resources and climate change," Zhou said.

A cold vent is an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane and hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs, according to Feng Dong, a researcher from the South China Sea Oceanic Institute under the China Academy of Social Science.
"Cold vents are a current focus in scientific circles, as they can give us information on potential gas hydrogen resources, climate change and extremophilic organisms," Feng said.
The Jiaolong's cold vent samples will help support research on deep-sea biospheres, according to Feng.

Scientists have described the Jiaolong manned deep-sea submersible's role in oceanic research as being of great significance following yesterday's commencement of a four-month trial mission.

The submersible also completed a deep-sea dive in the South China Sea yesterday.
The submersible and its crew of three dove to a depth of about 1,400 meters during the dive, state run Xinhua news agency reported.
Liu Feng, chief commander of the mission, said the success of the dive confirmed the submersible's ability to perform reliably.
The Jiaolong has an edge in accurate sampling, as its mechanical arms enable it to collect samples more precisely, said Yang Qunhui, a professor from Tongji University.
In June last year, the submersible set a new dive record after reaching a depth of 7,062 meters in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.

The current mission marks the start of a five-year trial period for the Jiaolong before it goes into regular operation.
China has become the select few countries like US, Russia and Japan to have submersible.
China is currently involved in maritime disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan over its claim on South China Sea.