SeaLabMOS Workshop at Oceans Monterey

Monday September 21st

The workshop will allow participants to

1) Assemble a SeaLabMOS CTD (first image below, the 2.0" Schedule 40 PVC version) from constituent parts (no soldering, sanding, or epoxy)

2) Assemble a SeaLabMOS temperature logger (less costly than the CTD; without the salinity sensor)

2) Get hands on with the SeaLabMOS family of systems: CTD (three of them: 1.5" and 2.0" PVC, steel), temperature logger (thermistor and DS18B20), bottom pressure recorder, and a surface float. A similarly made open-source portable atmospheric system will also be on hand. 

3) PowerPoint presentation (ack I know - it won't be that long I promise!) about existing sensor and component suppliers. This is to help the question I am often asked, "That's cool, but where do you find the sensors and other parts?". The short answer is Adafruit, McMaster-Carr, SparkFun, DigiKey, and others.

4) A semi-short dive into everything required for this work. 3D modeling / CAD (or even cardboard) for system trays and the like, soldering and wiring, datasheets (finding and reading), programming the system itself, deployment considerations, and then using Python for post-data analysis.

On the face of it, building your own system can seem overwhelming... Come to the workshop and hopefully you will walk away finding this work much more approachable! 

We hope to see you at the workshop! (OCEANS 2026 Monterey on Monday, September 21st)

Below is the proposal sent to the conference, if you are curious.

Oceans Monterey 2026 Tutorial Proposal

Tutorial title: Build Your Own Open Source CTD (and other systems)

Tags: open source, open science, citizen science, embedded systems

Instructor names, affiliations and short bios

Sophie Scopazzi, Aspect Wave LLC, owner

Sophie holds a Third Officer license in the U.S. merchant marine and has sailed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on research vessels, a crude oil tanker and an expedition cruise ship. She has a master’s degree from Rutgers University in Operational Oceanography and has piloted Slocum gliders, a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle. Sophie loves to work on embedded systems and has programmed and built an ocean research buoy at Cal Poly Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA and ocean sampling surface floats at the University of Hawai’i Applied Research Laboratory. Most recently, she continues to iterate upon the SeaLabMOS family of systems – open-source temperature loggers, bottom pressure recorders, surface floats, atmospheric weather stations, and conductivity-temperature-depth sensor platforms.

Topic description

Build an open-source CTD (and other systems) using consumer-off-the-shelf components for less than $500. Examples of system adaptability into a temperature logger, bottom pressure recorder, surface float, and an off-grid weather station will be in-person to experiment with during the workshop.

Learning objectives (these are not in a hierarchical order)

1.     Demystify existing sensors and components (ease of access, use, and ability)

2.     An introduction to the broad swath of knowledge required for open-source system building – soldering and wiring, basic shop tools, 3D modeling (not strictly necessary, but very helpful), programming of the system, deployment considerations, and post-deployment data analysis (Python)

3.     Actionable step to follow to building your own system (identify sensors/hardware from suppliers, programming languages to use, etc.)

Intended audience and prerequisites

I do not want to exclude anyone based on prior knowledge and a mix of abilities make for good groups when it comes time to do the hands-on work. Ideally, however, enough participants will have knowledge in Arduino IDE programming, soldering, wiring, and embedded systems. Whomever the audience, the learning outcomes will adjust accordingly to challenge them where they are at.

Outline of Content ~adjusted for half-day format (it could also be a full day)

1.     PPT about the different systems (0.3hr)

a. Many possible consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors that can be integrated SeaLabMOS and other systems

b. The sensors and components the examples in-person use

c. Cost and use case examples from real SeaLabMOS deployments

2.     Preview steps to building (0.1hr) Leave PPT slide up

3.     Everyone watches / rotates through building one/two CTDs (cost constraints) with Sophie (1.1hr) and experiments with / checks out the other systems

4.     Short break – questions, make smaller groups (0.1hr)

5.     Split into smaller groups (max ~2-3 ideally) to build a temperature logger (same parts and steps, except without the salinity sensor) (1.7hr)

6.     PPT about actionable steps for building the system you want to build (0.2hr)

a. Identify basic parameters like variable sampled, endurance, etc.

b. Identify suppliers and their datasheets

c. Locations with open-source resources available

Instructional approach, such as lecture, demonstrations, hands-on exercises or software tools

Short PPT lecture followed by hands-on instruction and system building. People can get hands-on with systems already built to see possibilities: temperature logger, bottom pressure recorder, surface float (two kinds), and an off-grid weather station.

Relevance to the OCEANS community

Open source hardware and software supports the UN Ocean Decade goals for Open Science. Low-cost systems using COTS parts can be on par with more expensive proprietary solutions for far less cost providing undeserved and marginalized communities, high school students, undergraduates, and Citizen Science access to the tools they need to complete actionable and relevant research. Ultimately, open source systems are a great avenue to engender community engagement in accessible hands-on solutions – for education and for science.

Tutorial website plan

https://www.sophiescopazzi.com/SeaLabMOS-Workshop. Website still being built.

Equipment requirements, noting that projector and screen are provided

1.     If soldering is allowed and the workshop is held in a place where ventilation allows, power for five soldering stations. All other parts will have been prepped in a kit beforehand for assembly. I do not plan on using epoxy with participants because of time constraints (+24hr cure) and mess. Examples will be on hand for all system types. If unable to solder… I can adapt the workshop for more focus in other hands-on areas of assembly, programming, and using the systems

2.     Eye protection for soldering (I will be able to bring)

Optional attendee requirements, including equipment or software attendees must bring or install in advance

Optional, but recommended to bring a laptop with Arduino IDE already installed for programming systems.