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Ling Xin

Chinese scientists have deployed a buoy-based research platform in the South China Sea that can track both atmospheric and oceanic changes – even in typhoon-force winds.
Anchored 3,500 metres (11,400 feet) below the surface, the system is designed for synchronised, multilayered observations spanning 10km (6.2 miles) into the atmosphere and 1km into the ocean, according to the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Qingdao, which led the project.
The buoy – powered by a hybrid energy system that combines solar, wind, thermal gradient and wave energy sources – can endure extreme marine conditions, including wind speeds over 60 metres per second and wave heights up to 20 metres, the institute said on its website.
“This buoy system features an innovative design with a highly stable surface and mooring structure tailored for deep-sea, high-wave conditions,” Liu Changhua, a senior engineer at the institute, told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday.
“It’s equipped with multiple advanced instruments, including an oceanic quantum lidar and a microwave radiometer, for synchronous observations across the atmosphere, ocean surface and subsurface layers,” he said, adding that the platform had entered a one-year commissioning phase.

Scientists around the world have long used deep-sea buoys to study the ocean. Some, such as the US Ocean Observatories Initiative, are anchored in waters more than 5,000 metres deep and collect valuable data about the ocean and atmosphere.
However, most of these platforms focus on either what is happening in the water or in the air – not both at the same time. China’s new buoy is a rare all-in-one system, with instruments integrated in a single platform.
The buoy took Chinese researchers three years to develop, according to the institute. On June 18, after weeks of preparation, the team set off from Sanya aboard the HaiKe 001, a research vessel assigned to tow the platform to its deployment site.
After five days at sea, the vessel reached a spot in the north-central South China Sea where the water is more than 3,500 metres deep. Once the site was verified, the crew began lowering the system into place: first, 1,000 metres of sensor cable, then about 5,000 metres of mooring line.
The crew worked in deck temperatures reaching 70 degrees Celsius and completed the operation in 12 hours, securing the buoy on the sea floor, the institute said.

To stay operational in extreme environments, the platform uses an on-board management system that keeps it running over long periods without maintenance. Researchers also developed a custom hydrodynamic model to simulate how the buoy and its mooring system behave in deep-sea currents, helping refine the platform’s design for greater stability and reliability.
In addition to measuring air-sea fluxes and ocean profiles, the buoy also monitors carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and ocean. Its smart data system allows for real-time quality checks and large-volume data transmission, with built-in security features to protect both the equipment and the information it gathers, the institute said.


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South China Sea

Chinese team deploys new all-in-one research buoy in the South China Sea

The “innovative” research platform powered by a hybrid energy system took three years to develop. Photo: Handout

The buoy was towed to a site in the South China Sea where the water is more than 3,500 metres deep. Photo: Handout

The research buoy has been secured to the sea floor. Photo: Handout

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A Chinese buoy deployed at a unspecified location in the East China Sea in 2021. Photo: Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy Of Sciences

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Floating platform can monitor both atmospheric and oceanic changes and is designed to withstand extreme conditions like typhoon-force winds


Floating platform can monitor both atmospheric and oceanic changes and is designed to withstand extreme conditions like typhoon-force winds.


Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Chinese team deploys new all-in-one research buoy in the South China Sea

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Floating platform can monitor both atmospheric and oceanic changes and is designed to withstand extreme conditions like typhoon-force winds

Floating platform can monitor both atmospheric and oceanic changes and is designed to withstand extreme conditions like typhoon-force winds