In the face of growing demand for deep-sea resource development, high-precision moorings are emerging as the "vanguard" of seabed resource exploration, thanks to their exceptional detection capabilities, and are opening up new opportunities for deep-sea mineral extraction.
In February 2025, in the depths of the South China Sea, a collaborative observation submersible buoy system jointly developed by Ocean University of China, the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Acoustics was successfully deployed and integrated into the national major scientific infrastructure "Underwater Scientific Observation Network-South China Sea Subsea Observation Subnetwork."
This marks a major breakthrough in China's deep-sea environmental monitoring and resource exploration technology, opening up new technical pathways for deep-sea mineral development.
Technological Breakthrough: From Single-Point Observation to Intelligent Networking
Deep-sea mooring technology has undergone a leapfrog development from single-function to multi-functional integration. The full-water-depth oceanic dynamic environment real-time monitoring mooring developed by Ocean University of China has achieved long-term continuous near-real-time observation of the oceanic dynamic environment. By 2025, breakthroughs in collaborative observation mooring technology were even more significant. The R&D team overcame key technical challenges such as large-sized high-quantum-efficiency photomultiplier tubes, ultra-large-sized high-pressure-resistant glass chambers, precise mooring network deployment, and real-time power supply and data transmission.
These technological breakthroughs have brought China's deep-sea observation capabilities to an internationally advanced level. In May this year, Xiamen University planned to procure a multi-scale process moored observation buoy system with even more stringent requirements. The system must meet a working depth of 6,000 meters, 12 months of maintenance-free operation, and real-time transmission of temperature, salinity, depth, and ocean current profile data, with a transmission frequency of no less than once per hour.
The continuous improvement of technical specifications is driving deep-sea resource exploration toward higher precision, longer time series, and real-time capabilities.
Resource Exploration: The "Eyes" of Deep-Sea Mineral Development
In the field of seabed resource exploration, high-precision moorings are playing an irreplaceable role. The bottom-mounted mooring observation system has been successfully applied in the natural gas hydrate zone of the northern slope of the South China Sea, equipped with various sensors for methane, carbon dioxide, temperature, salinity, and depth. The system can conduct long-term monitoring and comparison of methane leakage conditions on the seabed before, during, and after extraction, with a continuous operating time of no less than 180 days, providing scientific basis for the safe and effective development of natural gas hydrate resources. These mooring systems provide critical environmental data and resource distribution information for polymetallic nodule resource surveys, significantly enhancing China's capabilities in deep-sea resource surveys, exploration, and development.
Precision Innovation: From "Approximate Positioning" to "Centimeter-Level Precision"
Depth control precision is a core indicator of mooring technology. Zhejiang Dongming Technology Co., Ltd. obtained a patent for an "Underwater Equipment Mooring Depth Controller" in July this year, addressing the technical challenge of precise positioning of deep-sea equipment.
This patented technology achieves reliable cable compression through specially designed cylinders, piston rods, and clamping mechanisms, ensuring the equipment can accurately adjust depth based on changes in water pressure.
Higher-precision systems are also under development. The Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences plans to procure a sub-scale array real-time system for submersible buoys, which requires azimuth accuracy better than 10° at 200 Hz and real-time processing capability, with online processing time not exceeding 3 seconds. Improved accuracy enables submersible buoys not only to monitor environmental parameters but also to provide precise positioning and navigation services for deep-sea mining equipment, serving as a "positioning beacon" for deep-sea resource development.
The real-time data transmitted by these deep-sea "sentinels" is helping scientists create more precise maps of seabed mineral deposits. From polymetallic nodule mining areas to natural gas hydrate zones, high-precision mooring systems are unlocking the door to the deep-sea resource treasure trove. Industry experts note that the widespread application of high-precision mooring systems will accelerate the transition of deep-sea mineral resource development from exploration to commercial extraction, injecting new momentum into the global resource supply landscape. In the coming years, as technology continues to advance and application scenarios expand, these "eyes" in the deep sea will illuminate humanity's new journey of exploring the deep blue.
