Abstract: A strong shielding layer exists between Neogene and Meso-Paleozoic strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin, hindering the downward propagation of seismic wave energy.Consequently, reflected seismic waves in deep strata manifest low energy and poor wave group characteristics, severely constraining the oil and gas exploration in Meso-Paleozoic strata.To enhance the imaging quality of Meso-Paleozoic strata under the strong shielding layer, this study proposed a method for designing a high-energy airgun source rich in low-frequency components through extensive simulation analyses at the excitation end of the source.Finally, a 6050 in³ high-energy airgun source rich in low-frequency components was designed and applied to the streamer-based seismic data acquisition in the extremely shallow water area in the western Laoshan uplift.The seismic data acquired in the deep strata under the strong shielding layer demonstrate significantly improved quality, exhibiting a higher signal-to-noise ratio, more continuous seismic events, and clearer structural characteristics.