Pressure-maintaining sampling on the 10,000-meter seabed was successfully completed, and a breakthrough was achieved in the development of domestic deep-sea equipment.

The abyssal seabed is a key object of marine research in various countries around the world. Exploring the depths of the seabed is not only a necessary way to discover and utilize marine mineral resources, but also helps humans better understand the process of biological evolution. With the development of science and technology, existing deep-sea submersibles have reached the full sea depth level, and the ultra-high-pressure seabed environment is no longer an obstacle to human exploration of the seabed. However, just reaching the 10,000-meter deep sea is far from meeting the needs of marine scientific research. Collecting samples from the abyssal seabed area and obtaining effective information is another focus and difficulty in the development of marine technology.

Sample collection on the abyss seafloor is different from the normal environment. During the return process after sample collection, the pressure will decrease significantly due to changes in depth. If the in-situ state of the sample cannot be guaranteed, problems such as leakage of seawater gas components and changes in deep-sea biological activity will occur. Analysis results will be significantly distorted, and the research value of the sample will also be greatly reduced. Therefore, the full-sea depth sampler with airtight and pressure-maintaining function is of great significance for deep-sea research.

There have been many studies on deep-sea sampling technology in China. Among them, Zhejiang University has undertaken related projects many times and has rich experience. The sampling equipment used in this scientific expedition is a national key undertaking undertaken by the Zhejiang University research team. The key special project of the R&D plan "Deep Sea Key Technology and Equipment" "Constructing a Technology System for Exploration, Acquisition, Cultivation and Preservation of Abyssal Biological Resources" rents and develops domestic equipment, including pressure-maintaining sampling devices for abyssal sediments, seawater and macroorganisms. There are 5 sets of ship-borne sediment pressure-maintaining transfer devices and abyssal microbial in-situ filtration and preservation devices.

From mid-August to November, the research team participated in the "Exploration One" TS21-1 and TS-21-2 voyages, conducted multiple dives, and developed equipment for key special projects. Successfully completed the 10,000-meter sea trial acceptance. The equipment has broken through problems such as full-ocean depth pressure-maintaining sampling technology, full-ocean depth oil-filled motor mechanism design, active pressure compensation technology, pressure compensation technology, and pressure-maintaining transfer technology, providing technical support for obtaining high-quality samples for abyssal seabed research. It will play an important role in my country's subsequent abyssal ecosystem.

(Original title: Pressure-maintaining sampling of 10,000-meter seabed was successfully completed, and the development of domestic deep-sea equipment achieved a breakthrough)