China to compile historical data about South China Sea
|
|
|
Photo taken aboard the U.S. drilling ship JOIDES Resolution shows the sunset scenery of the South China Sea on March 31, 2017. Scientists from China, the United States, France and other countries were on the U.S. drilling ship JOIDES Resolution to conduct an expedition to the South China Sea. As part of the International Ocean Discovery Program, they will explore the lithosphere extension during the continental breakup, by drilling at four sites in the northern area of the South China Sea to a depth of up to 4,000 meters. The study will contribute to understanding of how marginal basins grow. [Photo/Xinhua] |
A project was launched Wednesday in China that will see researchers compile historical data obtained during expeditions to the South China Sea since the late 1950s.
Researchers will collect and compile valuable data and materials obtained during China’s major ocean expeditions to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs, said Long Lijuan, deputy head of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The project is one of the 14 resource investigation programs approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology this year.
A comparative analysis and research into the data will provide insight into the resources, environment and changes related to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs.
The project has the participation of 193 scholars from 10 domestic research institutions and universities, who specialize in fields such as marine life, ecology, fishery and geology.
Retired expedition members have been invited to assist the program to ensure the reliability and precision of the data.