Why scientists are building a massive 30-story ‘artificial island’ in the ocean

While some nations are cutting federal funding for scientific research, others, like China, are building giant 30-story semi-submersible research platforms to study the oceans while firmly planted in the ocean itself.

Developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the so-called “Open-Sea Floating Island” is being touted as the world’s largest all-weather marine research facility. It’s not exactly a ship, although it looks like a bizarre, mutated cruise ship, but it’s not exactly a stationary, uh, well, station, like an offshore oil platform. It is a hybrid of both ideas.

The station will study a range of areas, from marine disasters to meteorology, along with being a testing facility for heavy marine equipment. It is designed to support around 240 people and operate at depths as deep as 10,000 meters, which pretty much covers the entire vertical range of ocean exploration. Its deck will be roughly the size of two American football fields, with a central “moon pool” large enough to deploy underwater vehicles whose size Chinese state media described as capable of holding something the size of a blue whale.

The massive seaborne facility is being built to launch long-term scientific research missions even in extreme offshore conditions. Officials say this setup will allow real-world testing of deep-sea mining systems and offshore energy equipment, while giving scientists access to more consistent data collection about ocean ecosystems, typhoon development and all the seasonal changes that cause ripple effects throughout the oceans.

The massive project is scheduled to be completed by 2030.