On May 22nd, the International South Hemisphere Marine Research Center(SHMRC in short), jointly organized by the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM in short) and the Australia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO in short) was officially opened in Hobart, Australia. It is the first scientific research center established by China in the world’s developed countries and marine powers.

    SHMRC will focus on the observation of the Southern Ocean, and build a deep-sea buoy observing system, to promote Southern Ocean research on climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem. In the initial phase, the center will stress the following six aspects of ocean observation and research, respectively the Antarctic water mass, sea-ice interaction and sea level rise, tropical variation, Indonesia flowing current and ocean basin exchange, Southern Ocean biological and biogeochemical process, and the Southern Ocean data assimilation. The center will adopt an international model of operation, which means, the major matters will be decided by the Management Steering Committee, the chairman of which is Dr. Susan Avery, the President Emeritus of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The executive director charges the center’s daily operation, and now it enrolls the responsible director in the worldwide.

    Following SHMRC, QNLM will build a number of joint marine centers with the United States, Germany, Russia, and countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, in order to promote the scientific and technology development concerning the abyss, deep sea, and polar extreme environment.(Wang Ping)