TechEyes March 2026: Sensor Tech Takes to the Pond

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I have long been fascinated with sensors – that is, using technology to extend our human senses into places we might not be able reach, or not be able to reach on a regular basis.

Places like the edges of space.

The bottom of the oceans.

Or the waters of our Cape Cod ponds.

Pond exploration

We have hundreds of ponds on Cape Cod, and a pilot sensor project was conducted in several of them last year.  Once the ice clears, an expanded 2026 program will begin.

The company behind this, Subtidal, spun out of WHOI about three years ago. Scientist Matt Long and business partner Casey Wilson were passionate about measuring carbon removal in the ocean and developed a sensor-based process for identifying these changes.

But they kept hearing about concerns a little closer to shore, ones that screamed out for the kind of data their sensors could capture, and their analytic tools could turn into knowledge. They pivoted to focus on algae blooms and pond health.

Wilson said that two questions kept coming up: Is my water safe? What is causing these algae blooms?

Complex ecosystems

Ponds seem simple compared the ocean – but not so fast! Turns out they are incredibly complex ecosystem and we don’t fully understand the dynamics of these fresh and brackish bodies of water.

For ages we’ve gotten pond data by the decidedly old-fashioned way of dropping down containers and pulling up samples … one data point at a time, limited by our time and place abilities. But what if we could “sniff” the pond for changes all the time?

Pilot ponds

Subtidal’s buoy with its sensors and advanced analytics processing seemed like a potential solution. During the pilot it observed and reported pond wide data in the four test sites: Long Pond in Centerville, Long Pond in Marston’s Mills, and Jenkins and Deep Ponds in Falmouth.

It “looked” at multiple items: light levels in the air above water, dissolved oxygen in the water, temperature, conductivity. And–critically – it also scanned for a very specific pigment produced by cyanobacteria. This let the team flag potentially dangerous outbreaks before they were outwardly obvious.

Sensor designs

This year the buoy is getting smaller – it weighs in at just 25 pounds now – and will be rolling out to as many as 30 ponds both on and off Cape.

It also has a few other design changes – for all its smart sensors, during the pilot it couldn’t outsmart curious cormorants and muskrats. The new model should stay upright and functional even during visits from the ponds’ feathered and furry welcoming committees.

Beyond the human

Sensors feel a bit like giving our robots all five human senses – and then some. They record and identify elements we can’t see or smell or hear. Their sensing skills reach long distances, far behind our scope. They keep watching, listening, and sniffing long after we’d have rolled over for a nap.

Their observations alone are just that: Observations. Data points.  But combined with other data like weather patterns and water samples – and the right tools to analyze it all – they just might help us better understand our world and make healthier choices for it.

Sometimes you just need to open all the senses to see the bigger picture of us all.

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