On October 8, "Tan Suo Yi Hao" (literally "Exploration No.1") together with "Fen Dou Zhe Hao"(literally "Endeavor") heading for the western Pacific Ocean for deep sea exploration has safely returned, completing their tasks for the planned stage. During the 59-day-long voyage, "Fen Dou Zhe" carried out its first regular scientific research, by making 28 dives, 7 of which exceeded 10,000 meters, and explored the deepest area of "Challenger Deep" in Mariana Trench, which is also the deepest area of the world.

Zhang Yu is a member of the scientist team and a professor with main research focus on deep-sea microbes from International Center for Deep Life Investigation of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Since joining SJTU in 2011, she has worked at sea for nearly 400 days and published 40 papers. She has had 7 of her self-developed equipment patented and presided over 5 projects sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of China.

Polar studies entail great importance in School of Oceanography of SJTU. In 2013 when she had just become a member of School of Oceanography, Zhang Yu headed for a scientific expedition to the Southern Ocean with Dean Zhou Meng, and was awarded the medal for Antarctic expedition granted by NSF. In 2018, Zhang Yu went to the glacier in Svalbard in Arctic to take samples with her colleagues in School of Oceanography, including researcher Zhang Ruifeng.

"We know only a little about the ocean, especially the deep sea, and it is human instinct to explore the unknown." Some people spend their whole lives looking for their interest, and Zhang Yu thinks that she is fortunate enough to follow her passion for research and stick to her child dream of being a scientist.