China has independently developed wave energy marine ecological monitoring buoys and put them into use.

The wave energy marine ecological monitoring buoy "Cooperator" independently developed by the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Guangzhou Institute of Energy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units was put into use in the Dapeng Sea Area of Shenzhen on April 9. The buoy can convert wave energy into electrical energy, providing a test platform with sufficient energy for the development of ocean instruments.

▲ China's independently developed wave energy marine ecological monitoring buoy was put into use in the Dapeng Sea Area of Shenzhen on the 9th. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Chen Yuxuan

On the afternoon of April 9, the reporter learned at the scene in the Dapeng Sea Area of Shenzhen that the "Cooperator" buoy has a diameter of 3.3 meters, a height of 9 meters, and a weight of 9 tons, which meets the design standards of navigation marks. This means that the buoy is carrying marine ecological monitoring instruments and equipment. At the same time, it also has the navigation function of traditional navigation marks.

According to Li Jianping, head of the "Cooperator" buoy project and director of the Shenzhen Ocean Acoustic and Light Detection Technology and Equipment Engineering Research Center, in ocean research, the biggest difficulty in achieving long-term continuous monitoring of instruments and equipment is the lack of continuous and stable power supply. The energy supply of traditional buoys used to carry instruments and equipment is unstable, and there is often a "power shortage" when carrying out instrument testing.