BEIJING — A deep water sediment sampling system has completed a sea trial with a Chinese geophysical survey ship in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The sediment sampling system can operate at depths of 3,500 meters, while the columnar sediment samples were acquired at a depth of 1,778 meters, with a maximum length of 15.83 meters.

The visual sampling system, developed by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), lowered the ship's operational requirements in terms of sea conditions and enhanced safety. Multiple underwater sensors are attached to the system, which can be controlled by online and acoustic communication.

The system can conduct continuous sampling of columnar sediments with low disturbance, as well as multi-layer temperature detection of the sediments, said the IOCAS.