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SPOTTER PLATFORM

Ocean Intelligence
‍Made Simple

Deploy professional-grade monitoring in minutes. Get real-time data immediately. Scale effortlessly.

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NEW: Webinar introducing Spotter Scout, Spotter sensing on an uncrewed vehicle. Register →

The Spotter Platform

A turnkey, all-in-one solution for real-time ocean data. From moored buoys to mobile vehicles, every Spotter transmits to the same dashboard and API.

Two yellow ocean monitoring buoys floating on the water surface connected to blue underwater devices anchored to the ocean floor.
Two blue wave energy converters floating on the ocean surface connected to buoys and underwater mooring systems on the sea floor.

Core Components

Yellow buoy with solar panels mounted on the top frame and a rounded bottom.
SPOTTER BUOY

Study the Surface

The foundation of the Spotter platform. Deploy a solar-powered buoy to capture real-time wave, weather, and sea surface data. Moor in up to 50m of water or free-drift in any depth.
Learn more →
Coiled yellow cable with a slender vertical extension and a small blue label on the coil.
SMART MOORING

Explore Below the Surface

Add an intelligent mooring cable to your Spotter Buoy. Plug in Bristlemouth-enabled sensors to measure sound, currents, temperature, and more at depth.
VIEW CONFIGURATIONS
Icon of a loudspeaker emitting sound waves, representing volume or broadcast.
Sound →
Dark blue icon of a downward arrow above three wavy horizontal lines representing water.
Water Level →
Icon with three horizontal wavy lines stacked vertically representing water or waves.
Currents →
Water faucet with a downward-pointing arrow symbol.
Temperature →
Icon of a laboratory test tube filled with liquid.
Water Quality →
Icon of a water droplet with a downward-pointing arrow inside, symbolizing water download or water flow downward.
Custom →
Blue solar-powered autonomous marine drone with solar panels on top and an underwater propulsion system.
spotter Scout
new

Monitor Without Moorings

Trusted Spotter sensing on an uncrewed vehicle built by Online Oceans. Station-keep in deep water, transit between locations, or deploy as a drifter that returns home.
Learn more →
PLATFORM SERVICES

One Platform for Every Deployment

Whether your data comes from a buoy, a subsurface sensor or a mobile vehicle, it all transmits to the same Spotter Dashboard and API.

White world map silhouette on a light teal gradient background.
Satellite & Cellular Networks

Always Connected

Your data transmits from anywhere on Earth. No retrieval missions. No data gaps. No waiting.
Dashboard showing barometric pressure and mean subsurface pressure graphs with data trends for 'Golden Gate' SPOT-99427, alongside partial code snippet with sensor metadata.
Dashboard to API

Access Data Your Way

Check conditions in real-time on our dashboard. Build custom integrations with our REST API. Download raw data anytime.
Hand holding a smartphone displaying a map of the San Francisco Bay Area with yellow icons marking locations.
Remote Configuration

Control from Anywhere

Update sampling rates. Adjust alert thresholds. Deploy firmware updates. All without leaving your desk.

Start with One. Build a Network.

Every Spotter you deploy amplifies your ocean intelligence. 
As your network grows, patterns emerge and insights multiply.

Map of Australia and New Zealand with a yellow pentagon labeled 'One Spotter' off the west coast of Australia and the text 'Forecast Accuracy' in the bottom left corner.
Single Point Intelligence

One Spotter.

Continuous ocean data from your most critical location. Deploy in minutes and get real-time observations from day one.
Spatial awareness

Multiple Spotters.

See how conditions vary across a region. Track gradients, compare sites, and reveal patterns at a fraction of the cost of traditional monitoring.
network intelligence

Full network.

Combine fixed buoys with mobile USVs for complete coverage. One dashboard ties it all together, driving forecasts, models, and decisions.
Design a network →

Powered by Bristlemouth

Spotter is turnkey and ready to deploy out-of-the-box — but its superpower is flexibility.

Plug-and-play compatibility

Effortlessly add or swap sensors via Bristlemouth — the open ocean connectivity standard — to instantly expand your capabilities and meet evolving needs.

One standard across every form factor

The same Bristlemouth sensors work on Spotter Buoy + Smart Mooring and Spotter USV. Buy once, deploy anywhere in your network.

A growing ecosystem

Bristlemouth is an open standard backed by a growing community of sensor manufacturers. Sensors you buy today work with instruments released tomorrow.

Learn more about Bristlemouth →

Explore Real Spotter Networks

See how organizations worldwide use the Spotter platform to build monitoring networks that drive research, safety, and decision-making.

AQUALINK
Global Coral Reef Map
A global network of Spotter buoys and Smart Moorings tracking ocean temperatures at coral reef sites. Real-time surface and subsurface data helps researchers and citizen scientists monitor heat stress and protect vulnerable ecosystems.
View Network →
Interactive map showing Lake Michigan water conditions near Green Bay and Chicago with color gradient for water temperature and data on wave height, period, and direction.
SEAGULL
Great Lakes Observing System
Dozens of Spotter buoys across all five Great Lakes delivering real-time wave, wind, and temperature data to boaters, anglers, and rescue crews through the public Seagull platform.
View Network →
Map showing coastal locations Bundegi (Aqualink) and Canal Rocks with corresponding charts of wave height, wave period, sea surface and bottom temperatures, wind speed, and wind direction for late September 2023.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
AusWaves
Moored and drifting Spotters spanning Western Australia's 10,000km coastline. UWA uses the network to advance wave forecasting, track marine heatwaves, and support coastal management. All data is publicly available.
View Network →

Deployed Globally, Trusted Locally

From Arctic research stations to tropical storm monitoring — Spotter delivers reliable intelligence in nature's extremes.

Explore Our Approach →