Skip to content

Southern Fried Science

Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS

Oceanography for Everyone – Help us build a CTD!

Posted on May 31, 2013October 27, 2013 By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Oceanography for Everyone – Help us build a CTD!
Science, The Open CTD Project

Head over to our Rockethub Page for more information!

Conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD). With these three measurements, marine scientists can unlock ocean patterns hidden beneath the waves. The ocean is not uniform, it its filled with swirling eddies, temperature boundaries, layers of high and low salinity, changing densities, and many other physical characteristics. To reveal these patterns, oceanographers use a tool called the CTD. A CTD is found on almost every major research vessel. Rare is the scientific expedition–whether it be coastal work in shallow estuaries or journeys to the deepest ocean trenches–that doesn’t begin with the humble CTD cast.

The CTD is not cheap. Commercial CTD’s start at more the $5,000 and can climb as high as $25,000 or more.

We believe that the prohibitive cost of a CTD is an unacceptable barrier to open science. The price tag excludes individuals and groups who lack research grants or significant private funds from conducting oceanographic research. We want to make this tool–the workhorse of oceanographic research–available to anyone with an interest in the oceans.

We’re building a CTD, but we need your help!

The ocean belongs to us all. Let’s ensure that we have access to the tools needed to study it.

Head over to our Rockethub Page for more information!

Share this:

  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Related

Tags: CTD OpenCTD Rockethub

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: The Sex Lives of Spoonworms: 10 marine animals with parasitic, dwarf, and otherwise reduced males
Next Post: What can we do with an OpenCTD – high resolution hurricane monitoring ❯

You may also like

The Open CTD Project
What can we do with an OpenCTD – high resolution hurricane monitoring
June 3, 2013
A small collection of deep-sea animals on display at a library
Academic life
Conservation, Technology, and the Future of the Seafloor: My 2023 science year in review.
January 4, 2024
Oceanography for Everyone
Documentation is the beating heart of open-science hardware: Help make ours better!
October 6, 2017
Education
Taking Initiative: My 2023 year in environmental education, outreach, and activism
January 19, 2024

One thought on “Oceanography for Everyone – Help us build a CTD!”

  1. Dr Ahmed says:
    June 8, 2013 at 4:57 am

    I’m with you >>> I need one

Comments are closed.

Popular Posts

That's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopThat's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopDecember 19, 2025Andrew Thaler
What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryWhat Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryJuly 2, 2025David Shiffman
Screaming into the void - Why your scientific paper doesn’t matterScreaming into the void - Why your scientific paper doesn’t matterJune 18, 2026Chris Parsons
I can serve on your graduate thesis committee. Here’s what you can expect of me, and what I expect in return.I can serve on your graduate thesis committee. Here’s what you can expect of me, and what I expect in return.October 16, 2025David Shiffman
Ageism in the conservation job marketAgeism in the conservation job marketJune 19, 2026Chris Parsons
The story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageThe story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageSeptember 27, 2024David Shiffman
Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryShark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryAugust 10, 2014Michelle Jewell
What is a Sand Shark?What is a Sand Shark?November 12, 2017Chuck Bangley
Fun facts and FAQs about Megalodon, Maryland's new (and definitely extinct) official state sharkFun facts and FAQs about Megalodon, Maryland's new (and definitely extinct) official state sharkApril 15, 2026David Shiffman
Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)September 7, 2010Andrew Thaler
Subscribe to our RSS Feed for updates whenever new articles are published.

We recommend Feedly for RSS management. It's like Google Reader, except it still exists.

Southern Fried Science

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS


If you enjoy Southern Fried Science, consider contributing to our Patreon campaign.

Copyright © 2026 Southern Fried Science.

Theme: Oceanly Premium by ScriptsTown