In pics: U.S. drilling ship on SW Indian Ocean (8)

U.S. drilling ship JOIDES Resolution sails on the southwest Indian Ocean, Dec. 6, 2015. On Saturday night some 30 scientists from 12 countries set out on an exploration mission to the southwest Indian Ocean aboard the JOIDES Resolution, as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP). The IODP is the world's largest geoscience research program with 26 countries in its membership. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiansong)