Figure 7 shows a plan of Laboratory 2. Laboratory 2, the largest of the three laboratories, is a laboratory for handling aqueous samples such as seawater, organisms, and sediments. A laboratory that does not bring in water, such as Laboratory 1, is called a "dry laboratory," whereas a laboratory like Laboratory 2 is called a "wet laboratory. The floor is waterproofed, and drains are provided so that dirt and salt contained in seawater can be washed away with water. In addition to several lab benches, the laboratory is permanently equipped with basic equipment necessary for research, such as a sink, a refrigerator-freezer, a draft chamber (a lab bench with an exhaust function for working with harmful gases), and an ultrapure water production system. On the other hand, nothing is permanently set up on the laboratory table so that the passengers can freely arrange the equipment and materials they bring on board and conduct experiments. Bolt holes are provided in the laboratory table, ceiling, and walls, allowing the attachment and removal of metal fittings for fastening equipment and materials (Figure 8). The dimensions of these bolt holes are the same for all experimental tables. If an analyzer or other equipment with holes that match these dimensions is prepared in advance, it can be easily fastened to the laboratory table (the same dimensions as those of the JAMSTEC Hakuho Maru). The top panel of the laboratory table is made of wooden plywood, so wood screws can be driven directly into the table to secure the equipment. Furthermore, since the lab bench is removable from the floor, it is possible to remove the lab bench and bring in and install large laboratory equipment, allowing the entire laboratory to be arranged to suit the purpose of the voyage.
The sink is equipped not only with a fresh water faucet, but also with a faucet that supplies seawater pumped up from the ship's bottom for research purposes. A surface seawater monitoring system installed right next to the sink continuously measures the characteristics of the surface seawater (temperature, salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll-a concentration) pumped from the ship's bottom during the entire voyage.