Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences

New Capabilities

As of June 2026: Led the expedition and study

At 7,002 meters down, where sunlight never reaches, a Chinese crewed submersible found bones. Then hundreds more. Across a 1,200-kilometer trench on the Indian Ocean floor, researchers counted nearly 500 dead whales, the oldest skull dated to 5.3 million years ago.

Updated Jun 10