China's Largest Offshore Ecosystem Field Controlled Experiment Platform Launched and Put into Use
The offshore ecosystem experimental platform has been put into use in the waters off Shandong, supporting continuous observation and research in real sea areas It will help ecological early warning, aquaculture carrying capacity assessment, and restoration, and will be open for shared use in the future
The Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on July 10 that its independently developed fieldcontrolled experimental platform for coastal ecosystems has been launched and put into use in the offshore waters of Shandong. The platform is described as the first major marine science and technology infrastructure in the Chinese Academy of Sciences' fieldstation system, and currently the largest integrated controlled experimental platform for offshore marine research in China.
According to the introduction, the platform covers a total area of about 2,000 square meters, with an offshore experimental area of about 30,000 square meters. It integrates functions such as automatic monitoring of ecological indicators, seawater environmental regulation, enclosure ecosystem management, and comprehensive support, and can carry out singlefactor control and multifactor coupling experiments, simulating realworld changes in offshore ecological environments.
Researchers said the platform will help research teams conduct continuous observations and experimental studies under real seawater conditions, for assessing issues such as offshore ecological change, causes of ecological disasters, and aquaculture capacity. It will also provide scientific support for ecological early warning, health assessment, and the restoration of damaged ecosystems. In the future, the platform also plans to open up and share resources with universities and research institutions worldwide.