Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources

The Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO), Ministry of Natural Resources was established in 1966. SIO is a non-benefit oceanographic research institute directly under the Ministry of Natural Resources of People’s Republic of China. It is one of the leading oceanography institutes in China and mainly engaged in the ocean scientific research on Chinese marginal seas, open oceans and polar seas as well as the R&D of the high technology for the oceanic environment and resources investigation and survey. It owns one national key laboratory - State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics (SOED) and three key laboratories, five scientific research centres. 3 academic staff was selected as academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. The institute has formed strong scientific advantage on submarine geosciences, satellite oceanography, ocean environment dynamics, marine ecology and biogeochemistry and engineering oceanography, and has won more than 100 Class A and Class B Awards of scientific achievements at national level, provincial and ministerial level. Today, SIO has 421 staff and 120 students (Master, PHD and post-doctor). As the pioneer of the Chinese polar research, the institute organized the first Chinese Antarctic Expedition in 1984. Up to now SIO has joined every Chinese Antarctic and Arctic scientific expedition cruises (CHINARE cruises) since 1984, including 28 cruises in Southern Ocean and Antarctic and 5 cruises in Arctic Ocean. The institute has also involved environment and ecology monitoring at national Antarctic Great Wall Station, Zhongshan Station and Yellow River Station. Polar research at the institute focuses on: marine chemistry and biogeochemistry, marine ecology and biodiversity, marine geology, marine geophysics, physical oceanography and remote sensing.