MH370: Chinese 'Zhu Kezhen' ship to conduct sea bed survey

Authorities conducting the search for the missing flight MH370 will send a Chinese survey ship to conduct a 'bathymetric survey' to map out the sea bed in the Southern Indian Ocean.

The ship "Zhu Kezhen" will have to undertake an extensive mapping of the seabed at the area identified by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), according to a statement by the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC).

Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities who met over the weekend in Fremantle had decided on this survey on Sunday.

"Zhu Kezhen is scheduled to sail for the survey area on Wednesday, weather permitting," said the JACC.

Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of lake or ocean floors. The said survey is one of the main priorities given in the search for the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight.

Transition phase

Other priorities include re-analysing available data to verify a more accurate search area as well as identifying and deploying relevant towed and autonomous underwater vehicles.

The search now in its ‘transition phase’ that prioritises ocean floor search, with all other land and surface searches called off.

Beijing-bound Flight MH370 with 239 people on board vanished from radar screens on March 8 while over the South China Sea, less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

A massive multinational search was launched, first in the South China Sea and later extended to the Strait of Melaka and Andaman Sea, before search teams shifted their attention to the waters off western Australia in the Southern Indian Ocean, half way to Antarctica.

Repairs needed for Ocean Shield

Meanwhile, JACC said the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield arrived at Geraldton, Western Australia, yesterday to begin preparations to receive spare parts for transponders mounted on the Ocean Shield and the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Bluefin-21.

"The repairs are necessary to correct a hardware issue affecting the ability of the transponders to communicate with each other during dives. The problem became apparent during Bluefin-21's last mission on Tuesday," it said.

The spare parts are expected to arrive in Geraldton later on Monday.

JACC said once the replacement parts were installed, testing would be conducted at Geraldton prior to Ocean Shield transiting back to the search area.