Underwater Temperature Loggers: Considerations For Selection & Deployment

Researchers and resource managers working in the world’s rivers, lakes and oceans often need to monitor underwater temperature over time. Whether they are studying coral reef bleaching; assessing industrial thermal loading in lakes; modeling freshwater fish populations; or developing marine technology, users must have underwater temperature data collection methods that are accurate, reliable, and practical for their particular field sites and studies.

Most researchers today rely on electronic underwater temperature logging devices for their monitoring needs, rather than on human data collection. The latest of these loggers are small, rugged, inexpensive and easy to use. These battery-powered devices can be programmed to gather data for months at a time and can stand up to a wide range of environmental conditions including wide temperature fluctuations, rushing rocky streams and ocean storms.

This report provides general information about monitoring underwater temperature, and serves as a guide to selecting water temperature data loggers.  It also identifies some of the challenges specific to particular field sites, and provides tips on deploying loggers in such environments.