China launches a deep-sea cold seeps research megaproject, including a manned deep-sea lab

A simulated picture of the cold seeps ecosystem research facility (Liu Caiyu/GT)

China on Friday announced the official launch of a deep-sea research megaproject in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, designed to support cutting-edge fundamental research and development in exploring the origins of life in extreme deep-sea environments and the green development of deep-sea resources such as combustible ice.

Led by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCSIO), the cold seeps ecosystem research facility comprises three key components, including a crewed deep-sea laboratory capable of operating at depths of 2,000 meters for up to 30 days, the Global Times learned from the institute.

The institute told the Global Times that conducting research on a cold seeps ecosystem is the best entry point for the green development of combustible ice and deep-sea scientific research.

The facility will provide support for the study of the development of cold seep ecosystems, chemotrophic biological succession, methane phase evolution, and their environmental effects.

After the completion of the cold seeps facility, it will act as a supporting platform for cutting-edge fundamental research and high-tech development in exploring the origins of life in extreme deep-sea environments and the green development of deep-sea resources such as combustible ice. This will mark China's key step in the field of deep-sea scientific research, the institute said.

The facility comprises three key components: deep-sea laboratory; authentic simulation subsystem; support and guarantee subsystem.

The deep-sea laboratory, weighing 600 tons, can operate at depths of up to 2,000 meters. It accommodates a crew of six and sustains underwater operations for up to 30 days without resurfacing.

This lab - a hybrid of crewed and unmanned technologies - is capable of using advanced underwater sensors to "capture" critical scientific phenomena at cold seeps sites. It can also conduct real-time experiments, perform in-situ cultivation of deep-sea organisms, and collect high-fidelity samples. Researchers can also execute precision tasks and analyze data onboard.

Leveraging observational data, the authentic simulation subsystem conducts comprehensive simulations to reconstruct the formation and extraction processes of combustible ice, as well as the full lifecycle evolution of cold seeps ecosystems.

The third part of this facility is the support and guarantee subsystem. It is primarily composed of a surface support mothership, as well as a research and smart management center.

The mothership, with a displacement of 9,380 tons, is capable of deploying, retrieving, and providing operational support for the 600-ton deep-sea laboratory. This subsystem is designed to ensure the daily operation, maintenance, and scientific research activities of the system.

Zhang Xin, a research fellow from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is also involved in the project, told the Global Times that simply referring to the facility as a "deep-sea" space station would be inaccurate, as it consists of three interconnected parts.

However, similar to a space station, the deep-sea laboratory incorporates some concepts inspired by space station technology, such as life support systems, including oxygen supply programs. Research teams on space station technology will also participate in the project, Zhang said.

The entire project will take about five years to finish. The initial four years will focus on the engineering design and the physical construction of the facility. The final year will involve system testing, equipment calibration, and operational validation through marine trials to ensure functionality under real-world conditions.

Technological breakthrough

The facility is the first major national scientific and technological infrastructure combining both marine and land elements, developed independently by China, the institute said.

Through the construction and operation of the cold seeps facility, the project will break through a series of key core technologies, including deep-sea manned long-duration stay experiments, safety of large deep-sea pressure-resistant structures, large-scale titanium alloy processing techniques, and deep-water docking systems.

"Cold seeps" refer to underwater areas where gases, such as methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, seep from the seafloor into the ocean, driven by geological shifts or pressure changes.

Often called "oases of the deep sea," the cold seeps ecosystem refers to a unique ecosystem in the dark depths of the ocean where marine organisms utilize chemicals (such as methane and sulfates) seeping from the seabed as carbon sources and energy for chemosynthesis. This ecosystem thrives in an environment characterized by darkness, high pressure, and low oxygen levels.

Cold seeps provide carbon sources and energy for chemosynthetic autotrophs, sustaining a community of cold seeps organisms that rely on these autotrophic bacteria as the foundation of the food chain, serving as primary producers.

A diverse range of organisms, including tube worms, clams, mussels, crustaceans, polychaetes, as well as echinoderms like starfish and sea urchins, crabs, cold-water corals, and fish, are flourishing on the basis of it. To date, scientists have discovered over 600 species of organisms in cold seeps ecosystems.

Research on cold seeps and their ecosystem has been a focal point of international attention.

In terms of climate change, methane gas from cold seeps areas is a significant source of greenhouse gases, which has the potential to become a commercial energy source in the future. The leakage of methane from these areas has a substantial impact on global climate and ecological environments, making their protection crucial.

Furthermore, organisms found in cold seeps may have the ability to synthesize compounds that are important for biomedicine, offering immense scientific value. So far, scientists have identified more than 600 species in the cold seeps ecosystem, according to the institute.

The cold seeps facility is a multidisciplinary, large-scale scientific installation. Once completed, it will be open for public sharing and collaboration, according to the institute.

Feng Jingchun, a professor of Guangdong University of Technology, chief technologist of the cold seeps ecosystem research facility, told the Global Times that scientists from other countries and regions are welcome to collaborate on the project. "Science knows no borders," she emphasized.