Crew members of China's comprehensive research vessel KEXUE make preparations before departure at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, July 4, 2026. KEXUE departed here on Saturday for an estimated 40-day mission in the western Pacific, marking the 15th voyage of a shared research cruise that began in 2010. Research will span air-sea interaction, physical oceanography, marine biology, chemistry and seafloor geology. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)