A laboratory in Guangdong province will push forward the building of four national-level maritime platforms during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

The Southern Maritime Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) aims to establish a technological innovation center for islands and reefs in the South China Sea, said Zhou Wenneng, deputy director of the lab, at a news conference in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

The lab will establish a national engineering research center to find and develop natural gas hydrate. It will be involved in building a national key lab for deep-sea ecological resources, and the invention of devices for ecological safety in storm surges, Zhou said.

The lab will also develop devices for cold seeps to contribute to green and orderly extraction of maritime hydrocarbon energy and will aim to consolidate resources related to the South China Sea in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said.