Drifting Buoy
Drifting Buoy

Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors are in situ instrument packages that are used to measure water depth, pressure, salinity, temperature, and density in the ocean. CTD sensors can be deployed on various water-based platforms such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), buoys, gliders, or research vessels. When deployed on a vessel, CTD sensors are typically attached to a rosette and then lowered to the seafloor to measure water properties. CTD sensors have a typical sampling rate of 30 Hz and can collect precise measurements for a specific water depth depending on the researcher's needs.

The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) is an in situ acoustic sensor used to measure ocean currents. ADCP uses the Doppler effect to detect sound waves to provide measurements of the speed and direction of currents throughout the water column. ADCP can easily be mounted on different water platforms such as ships, buoys, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It also can be deployed on the seafloor to provide profile measurements of ocean currents.