The Pacific Northwest (photo: John Meyer)
The Pacific Ocean in the northwestern United States (photo: John Meyer)

Seawater and electronics don’t typically make a good mix. But those were the two key ingredients for a University of Washington undergraduate course that had students build their own Internet-connected oceanographic sensors. The students were getting their feet wet, literally, in a new type of oceanography that uses remote instruments to collect real-time data. During the final class May 31, seven instruments were lowered off the UW’s oceanography dock, immersed in saltwater for the first time, and successfully sent their readings back to laptops on shore.

Watch a video at UW Today »