Exploring the Deep Ocean

June 13, Yap Trench, West Pacific: Jiaolong, China’s manned submersible, surfaces after a dive, completing the third stage of the country’s 38th oceanic expedition.
After each dive, the crew of the submersible brought back many intriguing photos and videos of sea creatures and underwater geography, as well as samples of seawater, sediment, rocks and deep-sea life, which can yield a better understanding of how organisms adapt to and live in extreme environments.
The expedition, which began on February 6, was the longest yet, and included the most missions for Jiaolong so far. The first two stages took place in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea respectively, earlier this year. Named after a mythical dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest point of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.