deep sea

China has pushed its deep-sea drilling capability to the 5,000-meter level, becoming only the third country in the world to retrieve hard-rock samples from deep-ocean seabeds. The advance, reported by state media, underlines Beijing's push into deep-sea exploration technology, an area dominated by a small number of nations and increasingly tied to scientific prestige and potential seabed resources.

A Chinese deep-ocean drilling vessel has brought back core samples from the South China Sea, described by officials as scientifically precious. The mission is part of China's growing deep-sea exploration programme, and the retrieved material is expected to aid research into the seabed's geology and resource potential.

Scientists and fishermen in the United States are calling on federal agencies to maintain funding for a deep-ocean observation system that tracks conditions in waters important to both research and commercial fishing. Supporters say the system provides valuable long-term data on ocean health, and that cutting it would leave researchers and industry without critical information about changing deep-sea conditions.

Environmental experts are warning that plastic pollution in the deep ocean may be interfering with the bioluminescent organisms that live there. Pollution particles could block or mimic the light signals deep sea species rely on for feeding, mating and defence, potentially disrupting entire ecosystems in one of the planet's least explored environments.

Chinese state media report that the country's deep-sea drilling capability has reached the 5,000-meter level, marking a significant advance in its capacity to explore and extract resources from the ocean floor. The announcement highlights China's growing technological ambitions in deep-sea exploration and its push to secure strategic minerals and energy resources beneath the seabed.

China says it has completed a drilling operation reaching 16,172 feet, recovering hard rock core from deep beneath the ocean floor. If confirmed, the achievement would mark a significant advance in deep-sea drilling capability, with implications for geological research and seabed resource exploration. Details about the vessel, location and independent verification of the depth and recovery have not been reported.

Scientists report the discovery of a so-called "fire amoeba", an organism said to survive at temperatures beyond what was thought to be life's upper limit. If confirmed, the find would force a rethink of the thermal boundaries of life on Earth, with implications for the search for life in extreme environments such as deep-sea vents and possibly other planets.

Scientists conducting deep-sea research have discovered an unexpected creature living around 3,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface. One of the researchers described the sighting as shocking, suggesting the animal was found well outside its known habitat or depth range. The finding is drawing attention from marine biology enthusiasts and highlights how little is still known about life in the deep ocean.

China's Mengxiang, the country's deep-sea drilling vessel, has achieved a series of milestones during its voyage in the South China Sea, according to China Daily. The achievements mark progress for the ship, which is designed to drill deeper into the ocean floor than any previous vessel. The development highlights China's growing capabilities in deep-sea exploration technology.

Researchers have found that bacteria living on the gills of coral reef fish carry genes for chemosynthesis, the process of making food from chemicals rather than sunlight. DNA analysis revealed these genetic pathways in the gill microbes, suggesting reef fish may host bacteria capable of producing nutrients in ways previously associated with deep-sea ecosystems rather than sunlit reefs.

A newly reported scientific effort is shedding light on the ocean's 'deep reefs' — little-known coral and rocky ecosystems lying in dim waters beyond the reach of typical diving surveys. Researchers are using advanced exploration methods to document what lives there and how these hidden habitats function, as interest grows in protecting deep-sea environments.