Texas A&M University 3 credits OCNG
COURSE OVERVIEW. This course explores how oceanographic measurements are obtained, guiding students from basic sensor design to system-level design and data use. You will examine questions such as which sensors best capture key environmental variables, how to integrate multiple sensors into platforms and vehicles for coastal and open-ocean deployments and how communications and storage choices affect data quality and availability. Core concepts include the operating principles of common ocean sensors, platform and vehicle capabilities, analog and digital signals and end-to-end workflows from acquisition to display and interpretation. Expect hands-on engagement with microcontrollers, sensors and code, practical trade-offs among power, cost and reliability, and collaborative design challenges that culminate in designing, building and demonstrating an environmental sensing device that meets specific deployment needs. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Ocean observing underpins climate assessment, fisheries management, maritime operations and coastal resilience. By learning how sensors, platforms, communications and data systems work together, you will build transferable skills for research labs, environmental consulting, government agencies and blue-tech industries. The course connects directly to workforce readiness through practical integration of hardware and software, from microcontroller programming to data storage and transmission. These competencies help you evaluate and design observing solutions for real-world contexts such as monitoring water quality, tracking algal blooms or operating autonomous vehicles, while strengthening your ability to make informed, evidence-based decisions. KEY TOPICS AND THEMES. You will study how instruments measure temperature, salinity and pressure, as well as bio-optical and biogeochemical variables such as chlorophyll, photosynthetically active radiation, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and acoustic signals. You will compare observing platforms and vehicles including buoyancy and wave gliders, remotely and human-operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, towed systems, fixed buoys and tide stations, and imaging systems, focusing on where and why each is used. You will examine communications technologies like satellite links, LoRaWAN, radio and acoustic modems alongside data storage options. You will develop practical coding skills with microcontrollers using MicroPython to connect and read data from sensors, access data and store and display measurements. The course culminates in a team-based design experience in which you specify, build, test and present a prototype environmental sensing device that integrates multiple sensors to meet defined observing objectives. Prerequisite: Graduate classification in OCNG or related field by approval of instructor.
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