While some nations cut federal funding to scientific research, others, like China, are building gigantic 30-story semisubmersible research platforms to study the oceans while firmly planted within the ocean itself.
Developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the so-called “Open-Sea Floating Island” is being pitched as the world’s largest all-weather marine research facility. It’s not exactly a ship, though it looks like a bizarre, mutated cruise ship, but it isn’t exactly a stationary, um, well, station, like an offshore oil rig. It’s a hybrid of both ideas.
The station will study a range of fields, from marine disasters to meteorology, along with being a testing facility for heavy marine equipment. That’s designed to support around 240 people and operate at depths as low as 10,000 meters, basically covering the full vertical range of ocean exploration. Its decks will be roughly the size of two American football fields, with a central “moon pool” big enough to deploy submersible vehicles, the size of which Chinese state media described as being able to accommodate something the size of a blue whale.
The massive seaborne facility is being built to launch long-term scientific research missions even in extreme offshore conditions. Officials say this setup will allow real-world testing of deep-sea mining systems and offshore energy equipment while giving researchers access to more consistent data collection on ocean ecosystems, typhoon development, and all the seasonal changes that cause ripple effects throughout the seas.
The massive project is slated for completion in 2030.