The State Oceanic Administration announced on May 14 that China's largest comprehensive oceanographic survey and evaluation work has started in full scale ever since the founding of New China in 1949.

Chen Lianzeng, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration, said that the aim of the present special offshore survey is to get to know China's offshore state and the trend of change, so as to provide basic data and a basis for scientific decision-making, for the sustainable development of a marine economy, oceanic administrative management, the protection of the marine eco-environment, the prevention and reduction of oceanic disasters and the safeguard of marine security.

The tasks of investigation include three basic contents: Comprehensive offshore survey of China, comprehensive appraisal of China's coastal waters, and the establishment of a basic framework of China's "digital marine" information. The scope of investigation involves China's internal waters, territorial waters and sea areas contiguous to some territorial waters, covering an area of 676,000 km.

It is reported that the work of early--stage investigation began in 2004, the whole lot of work is planned for completion in 2009.

In 2005, work will be focused on carrying out seabed terrain and topographical survey in part of the sea areas, making analysis, measurement, scanning and survey and conducting geo-physical investigation, starting part of remote-sensing investigation, disaster investigation and sea water comprehensive utilization investigation, energy source investigation and comprehensive evaluation monograph, coastal provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have started investigation of islands, coastal strips, and the actuating status quo of sea areas.