A marine artificial upwelling device is launched in the sea area of Shengsi county, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on Dec 9. [Photo/wifizs.cn] 

A marine artificial upwelling device was successfully launched in the sea area of Shengsi county, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on Dec 9, the first of its kind in the province.

Pan Yiwen, an associate professor at the Ocean College of Zhejiang University, said that the upwelling device can operate autonomously, and researchers can remotely monitor and control it, adjusting relevant parameters in real-time according to the aquaculture conditions. It has been tested in Shandong province before, and this is the first sea trial in Zhejiang.

Pan added that the technology has been endorsed by the United Nations and has been included in their ocean carbon sequestration program to be promoted globally.

Ocean artificial upwelling technology is a method that utilizes complementary solar and wave energy devices to inject one cubic meter of air into the sea every 10 minutes through pipelines, creating a flow of approximately 60 cubic meters of water. This promotes nutrient circulation in the ocean, providing more "food" for mussels, according to Fan Wei, a professor at the Ocean College of Zhejiang University.

The implementation period of the sea trial project in Shengsi is set to be three years, and it is expected to increase the yield per mu of the surrounding aquaculture waters by more than 10 percent, with a value added of 2 million yuan ($278,744.41). The carbon sequestration capacity of oyster farming is expected to increase by over 20 percent.