Riding the wind and waves, Measure the maritime boundaries: The "Blue Dream" scientific expedition team completed the 2023 comprehensive scientific expedition mission at sea

In 2023, the "Blue Dream" scientific expedition team of the School of Marine Sciences organized and participated in four large-scale scientific research expeditions based on the actual needs of major projects and key fund projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Among them, there were two comprehensive scientific exploration voyages in the Indo-Pacific region, including the 2023 East Indian Ocean Foundation Shared Voyage (NORC2023-10; 2023.09.10-2023.12.01) and the 2023 Western Pacific Voyage (NORC2023-09; 2023.11.20-2024.01.23). In addition, there were two comprehensive scientific research cruises to coral reefs in the South China Sea, including 2023 the Xisha Islands Yongle Atoll Comprehensive Scientific Expedition (2023.07.03-2023.07.25) and 2023 the Xisha Islands Passu Keah and Depth Profile Survey (2023.09.06-2023.09.16). A total of 11 people participated in the voyage, which lasted 148 days and covered 22810 nautical miles. The survey area covered the southern and northern hemispheres, crossing the Malacca Strait and the Sunda Strait in the connecting area between the South China Sea and the East Indian Ocean for the first time, and has successively carried out a comprehensive scientific investigation on the marine elements of the Xisha Islands, the Bay of Bengal, the Java Sea, the Southern Indian Ocean, the equatorial Indian Ocean, the Luzon Strait, the Philippines Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean.

This year's expedition is centered on the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean. It carried out the collection of coral reef ecology, sediment, atmospheric aerosol and particulate matter, and CTD multi-depth seawater samples and data on a large spatial scale, laying a foundation for revealing the evolution of biodiversity and ecological functions of representative species in the Indo-Pacific Convergence Area. During the execution of each voyage, the "Blue Dream" scientific expedition team closely cooperated with personnel from the Sansha Track Ocean Coral Reef Protection Research Institute, domestic marine-related universities and research institutes, and carried out in-depth exchanges on observation and experimental techniques, construction of scientific research platforms, and academic perspectives.

"Blue Dream" scientific expedition team participated in 2023 East Indian Ocean Foundation Committee shared voyage (left: Dr. Chen Biao, right: Han Minwei PhD candidate)

"Blue Dream" scientific expedition Team participated in 2023 Westpac Foundation Shared Voyage (left: Dr. Qin Zhenjun, right: Dr. Yu Xiaopeng)

The "Blue Dream" scientific expedition team organized the 2023 comprehensive scientific expedition to Yongle Atoll of Xisha Islands (left: Dr. Chen Biao; Second from left: Xia Ronglin, PhD candidate; Third from Left: Dr. Qin Zhenjun)

2023 East Indian Ocean Foundation Committee shared voyage "Shiyan 6" research ship through the Strait of Malacca (left first is Han Minwei PhD candidate)

2023 Westpac Fund Committee shared the voyage successfully returned

2023 East Indian Ocean Foundation Committee shared voyage gravity column and bottom sampler operation (left picture, third right is Han Minwei, PhD candidate; On the left of the right picture is Dr. Chen Biao)

2023 Western Pacific Foundation Committee shared voyage deep-sea sediment collection operation (the first right is Dr. Yu Xiaopeng)

2023 Western Pacific Foundation Shared Voyage Surface Seawater filtration operation (Dr. Yu Xiaopeng in the picture)

Dr. Qin Zhen Jun attended the 2023 Westpac Foundation Shared Voyage "Science" Sea lecture hall

2023 Survey of Coral Reef and Depth profile in Panshi Island, Xisha Islands (Crew members: Dr. Liao Zhiheng, Chen Jian PhD candidate, Xia Ronglin PhD candidate)

The team members of "Blue Dream" presented banners to the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the team members of the "Shiyan 6" scientific expedition vessel

The team members of "Blue Dream" presented banners to the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and all the team members of the "Kexue" scientific expedition vessel