On Tuesday China’s submersible Jiaolong descended to a new depth of 6,965 meters and collected the world’s deepest undersea samples, China Daily reported.
According to Tang Jialing, one of the three pilots in the vehicle, the crew took the samples of deep sea water, deposits and creatures, recorded video and took photographs.
The vehicle conducted the second dive and it has another four scheduled to achieve the country’s first 7,000-meter dive.
China National Radio quoted scientists as saying that this accomplishment means China is capable of exploring 99 percent of the ocean floor.
Cui Weicheng, deputy commander-general of the diving team said that Jiaolong is not only a submersible, but also a platform for scientists.
According to the State Oceanic Administration the submersible will be used in the exploration and development of marine resources.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , June 20, 2012