QINGDAO -- A scientific expedition team of Chinese and foreign scientists set sail on Saturday from Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, to conduct a 45-day scientific mission in the Western Pacific Ocean.

According to Xu Xuewei, chief scientist of the mission and deputy director of the National Deep Sea Center, the team will conduct its mission in the Magellan Seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean, which is regarded as a priority area for future deep-sea biodiversity conservation.

Jiaolong, China's deep-sea manned submersible, is scheduled to make 18 dives to collect deep-sea organisms, seawater and sediments, so as to deepen the understanding of the unique ecosystems and environments of seamounts.

Tang Dongmei, a senior official of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said at the launch ceremony that the China-led Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats Program had gained the support and participation of 39 countries.

As the first international voyage under the program, the expedition involves scientists from Canada, Spain, Colombia and other countries and regions.