Marine Skin sensor goes to new depths

Marine Skin is said to be a thin, flexible, lightweight polymer-based material with integrated electronics which can track an animal’s movement and diving behaviour and the health of the surrounding marine environment. Early versions of the sensor were glued onto a blue swimming crab, but the latest version is attached to an animal using a non-invasive bracelet or jacket. This can, when necessary, avoid the need for any glues that might harm an animal’s skin. Their results are published in Small.

“The system can now operate down to a depth of 2km, which has never been achieved before by anyone,” said PhD student Sohail Shaikh of the KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) team.

According to KAUST, the sensitivity of the monitoring electronics has also been enhanced by up to 15 times. The data collected reveals a tagged animal’s depth and the temperature and salinity of the surrounding water. Further development is planned to incorporate additional environmental sensing capabilities, such as measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and precise geolocation tracking.