QINGDAO — The Ocean University of China said its new deep ocean scientific research ship Dongfanghong No. 3 was launched on Jan 16 in Shanghai.

The 103-meter-long and 18-meter-wide research ship with a tonnage of 5,800 tons has a maximum speed of 15 knots.

The vessel will be put into service by the end of the year, said the university, adding that Dongfanghong No. 3 would work with other scientific ships to conduct surveys and analyses of air, water and the seabed.

The new vessel is an important project of the Ministry of Education. The 2,500-ton Dongfanghong and 3,500-ton Dongfanghong No. 2, built in the 1960s and 1990s, respectively, have made a great contribution to ocean research in China.