Chinese research vessel Kexue, or Science, departed from east China's coastal city of Qingdao to the western Pacific Ocean on a scientific expedition voyage on Friday, marking a fully resumption of the marine scientific research in 2020, as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country continued to ease.
Supported by the Center for Ocean Mega-Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (COMSCAS), 51 scientists aboard the vessel will conduct geophysical surveys in the eastern Pacific Ocean during the expected two months of voyage.
Disrupted by the epidemic outbreak in mid-December, this expedition was a month behind schedule.
To ensure the safety of the crew members and the smooth progress of the mission, the marine center strictly disinfected all confined spaces of the vessel and required all crew members to quarantine for 14 days in advance before getting on board.
This expedition is the first voyage to the open sea sponsored by the COMSCAS so far this year. To ensure successful completion of 2020's research missions, the center has conducted scientific planning and optimization for the annual voyages of its nine research vessels for the entire year.
"So this voyage marks the full resumption of our survey of oceans and coastal waters," said Wang Fan, director of the Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Source:cctvplus
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