--- title: "Details Emerge About China’s Mysterious Underwater Base" description: "China is planning an underwater base that sounds like a bold initiative to learn more about the uncharted depths of the ocean." date: "2019-03-06" modified: "2019-03-06" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinas-mysterious-underwater-base" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "china" - "ocean" - "robots" - "the digest" - "underwater base" --- # Details Emerge About China’s Mysterious Underwater Base ![China is planning an underwater base that sounds like a bold initiative to learn more about the uncharted depths of the ocean.]() *\Image: Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* ## Undersea Base Last year, [it emerged]() that China was working on an underwater base that would be run by artificial intelligence and submersible robots. Now *New Scientist* has [dug up new details]() on the base from prototypes and scientific documents, and it sounds like the project will likely leave human oceanographers on the surface while underwater bots conduct the research — a bold approach that could teach scientists more about the uncharted depths of the ocean. ## Sealab 2019 Several Chinese prototypes, according to *New Scientist*, feature robot submarines capable of going on exploratory missions before returning to underwater docking stations to recharge. The base itself will probably also conduct scientific work by gathering samples of microorganisms as they pass. Because the base would be too deep for sunlight to reach, solar power wouldn't be an option, so it'll probably be powered by a cable connecting to the surface. An advantage of a permanent base, according to the magazine, is that its robot subs will be able to map how the ocean changes over time — collecting data about underwater ecosystems and geology over time. The more practical goal of exploring new frontiers for undersea oil extraction and minerals might also be on the table, according to the report. ## Lingering Questions It's not yet clear where China will build the underwater base, though *New Scientist* speculated that it could be in the Manila trench or the Okinawa trough — and scientists far from China are excited to see where the project goes. "The ocean covers most of our planet, and what happens there affects us all," Jon Copley, a professor of ocean exploration at the University of Southampton, told the magazine of the project. He added that "anywhere in deep water could be interesting for science." **READ MORE:** [China plans world's first deep sea base, complete with robot subs]() \[*New Scientist*\] **More on the ocean:** *This Military Rebreathing Device Lets You Stay Underwater for Two Hours* ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()