CUI WEICHENG: Deep diver
The developer of China’s record-setting Jiaolongsubmersible is determined to go even deeper.By Jane Qiu
Cui Weicheng will never forget the dive of his life: riding inside China’s Jiaolong submersible as it reached a depth of more than 7,000 metres in the Pacific’s Mariana Trench 4 years ago. “It’s rather desolate down there — but strangely beautiful,” says Cui, who led the submersible project.
Thanks to Jiaolong, China is now one of only a handful of nations that have the capability to explore the deep sea. Jiaolong, which is named after a mythical sea dragon, can travel deeper than any other manned research submersible currently in operation — allowing the country to reach more than 99.8% of the ocean floor.
“This symbolizes China’s increasing ambition — and leadership — in deep-sea research,” says Jian Lin, a marine geophysicist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Until recently, China’s ocean research focused largely on coastal and offshore waters. But, driven by a growing desire for resources and a stronger position in international disputes over marine regions, it is stepping up its support for scientific programmes in the deep ocean.
Now at Shanghai Ocean University, Cui is aiming to reach the deepest place on Earth — the Challenger Deep valley at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, 11,000 metres down. To achieve this goal, he is leading an effort to build a more-pressure-resistant three-person submersible calledRainbow Fish at a cost of US$61 million.
When it is completed in 2020, the vessel will be available for use by scientists around the world, says Cui. "The oceans belong to humanity rather than individual nations."
(from:http://www.nature.com/news/science-stars-of-china-1.20113)