Sensing the sea

The development of the ‘ecosystem approach’ to the management of marine systems is leading to a requirement for data to be collected with greater frequency and spatial resolution than has been necessary in the past. This is being met both by the analysis of more samples (to better describe variability and temporal change) and by the deployment of instrumented platforms that gather data over long time periods. To meet these requirements in the hostile conditions at sea, a range of sensors based on physical, chemical and biological responses is being developed. These sensors have applications in laboratory analysis of collected samples, during field studies and directly in situ at remote sites for real-time observations of environmental trends. Here, we consider the role that biosensors could have in future marine monitoring programmes.