High tech oceanography which was listed as one of the "863 plan" research projects during the "ninth Five Year Plan" has bridged the gap between China and the world's most advanced ocean monitoring, marine creature, submarine exploration and marine satellite remote sensing technique.

Experts say that the oceans, which account for 71 percent of the earth surface, are rich in abundant resources. Yet, developing and managing the ocean is high risk, high investment and very difficult work. Thus, this kind of work needs high tech support.

China invested more than 800 million yuan in high tech oceanography field during "ninth Five Year Plan" period, which helped develop scientific research in the field.

China has made major breakthroughs in the field ocean creature technology, regardless of species or quantity. It already has the capability of mass-producing oyster, sea-ear, scallop and nacreous clouds. A new type of anti-AIDS vaccine extracted from a marine creature by Chinese scientists has entered the first clinical experiment phase. China has also made some progress in the study of sea snake toxin, shark cartilage and other oceanic creatures. China has also begun work on large-scale extractions of anti-fungus, anti-germs, and anti-tumor from microorganisms.

Researchers have conducted many studies in submarine topography, marine geomorphy, geological structure survey technology, ocean oil and gas exploration technology, submarine mine resources appraisal technology, deep-sea mining technique, oil well imaging technology. Some of the research results have resulted in practical use.

(People's Daily 08/31/2000)