Engineering a Smartfin for surf-zone oceanography

The surf-zone presents unique challenges and opportunities for observational oceanography. Physical and biogeochemical signals change quickly in and around breaking surface waves due to high magnitudes of momentum and mass transfer. Autonomous instruments can be challenging to deploy in this energetic zone. We are developing the Smartfin, a surfboard fin capable of measuring geolocated ocean chemistry data to enable surf-zone observations via a new citizen/surfer science initiative. The Smartfin collects GPS, temperature, and motion data; modules for measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll fluorescence are in development. The fin is used by citizen/surfer scientists with a goal of distributing over one hundred Smartfins in California in 2017 and rapidly expanding across the country and the world in coming years.