Affiliated with research platforms such as the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the National Long-term Seafloor Scientific Observation System, and the Deep Sea Intelligent Unmanned Systems, the Deep Sea Research Center of Tongji University integrates ocean-related strength from School of Ocean and Earth Science, College of Electronic and Information Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, and College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics of Tongji University. With the cooperative and innovative “Marine Science and Technology Special Zone” mechanism as the guarantee, it is designed as an important part of the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center.

Featured with “deep drilling, deep observatory, and deep dive” (Three Deeps) technology and the marine “intelligence chain”, and guided by the major needs of the national marine strategy, the Center organizes interdisciplinary collaborative research. It strives to make breakthroughs in the scientific frontiers of ocean processes, deep seabed, climate evolution, and deep-sea resources, improve the level of our country’s deep-sea high-tech and intelligent equipment, and become an internationally influential center for marine education, personnel training, scientific & technological innovation and cooperation. The Center is dedicated to our country’s deep-sea resource exploration and development, marine environmental protection and disaster prevention and mitigation services, promote the independent innovation capabilities of marine high-tech industries, and increase its competitiveness in deep-sea science and technology.

The 4+1 construction plan of the Center focuses on five aspects:

(1) IODP-China Science Operator: China deep-sea research base for International Ocean Drilling, including IODP-China Core Repository and Research Center, Polar Ocean Joint Research Center, etc.;

(2) National Long-term Seafloor Scientific Observation Center: National R&D base for seafloor observation, including the monitoring and data center, seafloor observation maintenance center, seafloor observation scientific research center, etc.;

(3) Deep-sea Intelligent Unmanned Systems: including deep-sea sensor R&D base, deep-sea intelligent unmanned system science center, “Three Deeps” science and technology research center, etc.;

(4) Deep-sea Resource Research Center: including deep-sea oil and gas resource research center, deep-sea biological resource research center, etc.;

(5) International Joint Laboratory of Deep-Sea Science and Technology: a long-term agreement has been signed with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences of the University of Bremen.