The South China Sea-Deep program was launched by the NSF China in 2011-2019 with a total budget of 190 million RMB (~30.6 million US$) to study the deep sea process and geological evolution of the South China Sea, the largest marginal sea in the western Pacific. By dissecting this particular case, the program aims to reveal the evolution patterns of marginal seas and their effects on submarine resource and macro-environment development, since the deep sea process could be the breakthrough point of today’s ocean science and Earth system science frontiers.

Therefore, the overall scientific objectives of the program are

1) Rediscovering the seafloor spreading history of the South China Sea and its pre- and post-spreading evolution;

2) Revealing the patterns of bottom circulation and the deep sea response to sea level change;

3) Discovering the deep biogeochemical process and evolution;

4) Investigating resource and environment effects of the deep sea process evolution.

And key scientific questions include

1) Age and process of seafloor spreading.

2) Time and cause of the volcanic seamount chain activities.

3) Response of the deep sea sedimentation process to sea basin evolution.

4) Variation of bottom circulation and sediment transport mechanism.

5) Development and effect of carbonate platforms.

6) Distribution and effect of submarine overflows and down-hole fluids.

7) Deep sea carbon cycle and the function of microorganism.

8) Biogeochemical background of deep sea energy resource formation.

The South China Sea-Deep program has supported 59 projects in all during execution period. By the effort of hundreds of scientists and their students from tens of universities and institutions, many substantial and significant discovery and insight of the South China Sea have been gained. 2019 is the last year of the program, an overall and deep understanding of the deep sea process and geological evolution of the South China Sea would be achieved on the basis of synthesis research.