TEHRAN, Aug. 02 (MNA) � National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science announced the Persian Gulf Sea Explorer will be launched in the first half of September with all the research facilities.


�Iran enjoys a special sea status which provides an opportunity for the country for its future development,� said head of the institute Nasser Hajizadeh on Tuesday.

Exploitation of the sea, he added, whether from living resources or non-living resources, development of tourism or development of maritime transport needs knowledge and research.

Without the development of science and research, sustainable use of marine resources will not be possible and useful, he underlined.

Hajizadeh noted that the developed countries in the world allocate huge budgets annually for marine research centers; "Iran needs more research to further develop its maritime technology."

Persian Gulf Sea Explorer is a hydrographic and oceanographic survey ship being built by the Iranian Defense Ministry's Marine Industries Organization for the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science since spring 2011.

By Mehr News Agency