The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Maldives and the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on technological cooperation on Monday.

The official signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment. The agreement establishes a framework for bilateral cooperation in environmental protection and marine research through technological advancement.

The SCSIO, established in 1959, is among China's premier marine research organisations. As part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Innovation Programme, it specialises in four key areas: tropical marine ecosystems, marginal sea geology and resources, marine biological resource utilisation, and environmental monitoring.