Instruments allow us to extend our senses and measure changes under the water in areas where direct observation is difficult.

Cameras let us “see”, hydrophones let us “hear”, and with temperature sensors we can “feel” changes in warmth. By connecting instruments to cabled observatories, we can monitor ocean conditions on a continual basis to understand long-term changes and daily, seasonal, and annual trends. We can also monitor the impacts of climate change.

When combined with local, place-based observations and Indigenous knowledge, instrument and sensor data can help us have a more complete understanding of the ocean.

Explore our activities and lesson plans to understand how instruments work, what they measure and how data from that instrument can help us #knowtheocean.