Observational data from the ocean is tragically sparse and notoriously hard to collect — that’s where Spotter comes in.
Spotter lets you collect ocean data where you need it and access real-time updates from the Spotter Dashboard ****or the Spotter & Smart Mooring API. Plus, the on-board SD card records high-resolution data (e.g., 3D displacement data, acoustic data) for deeper, offline analysis.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to access transmitted data and data logged to the SD card. You will also get helpful links to additional resources.
<aside>
Table of Contents
</aside>
You can access real-time and historical data transmitted by your Spotter via cellular or satellite connection through the Spotter Dashboard or the Spotter & Smart Mooring API.
To access real-time data, you will need an active data subscription. If you don’t currently have an active data subscription, you will only have access to historical data.
<aside> <img src="/icons/link_gray.svg" alt="/icons/link_gray.svg" width="40px" />
More on data subscriptions:
Spotter Data: Subscription, Renewals, and Pricing
</aside>
The Spotter Dashboard is your hub for real-time and historical data access as well as configuring your Spotter(s), system and health monitoring, managing alerts, and much more.
<aside> <img src="/icons/link_gray.svg" alt="/icons/link_gray.svg" width="40px" />
More on the Spotter Dashboard and its core functionality:
</aside>
In the Spotter Dashboard, you can download a CSV file containing all transmitted data for a specified date range. From the Map View, click More data in the corresponding Spotter card or info pop-up to open Observation Data. Adjust the date range and click Download data CSV. If your Spotter has Smart Mooring, you will be able to select between Embedded history or Smart Mooring history from a dropdown.
<aside> <img src="/icons/link_gray.svg" alt="/icons/link_gray.svg" width="40px" />
More on the structure of CSV files:
Spotter dashboard file download CSV guide
</aside>
<aside> <img src="/icons/link_gray.svg" alt="/icons/link_gray.svg" width="40px" />
More on Smart Mooring data:
Accessing and Interpreting Smart Mooring Data
</aside>
Access your data and integrate it into your own applications with the Spotter & Smart Mooring API. For detailed documentation on the available endpoints and how to format requests, check out the API Specification.
To access your API token and set up delivery endpoints, log in to the Spotter Dashboard, click the menu icon ☰ in the top-right corner, and then select Sofar API.
Spotter stores all collected data locally on its SD card.
Regardless of the data modes (see Spotter Data Modes), Spotter always stores its location (latitude/longitude) at 1-minute intervals and saves 3D relative displacement time series (e.g., east, north, up) at 2.5Hz to the SD card.
In any of the Waves modes (Standard, Partition or Spectrum), Spotter stores the ensemble-averaged spectrum and cross-spectra for each sample period. Spotters equipped with sea surface temperature (SST) sensors (i.e., Spotters that do not have Smart Mooring) will also store an averaged SST measurement every 10 seconds.
In Track mode, wave spectra are not calculated, and are therefore not stored on the SD card.
For more information about the SD card files and formats, see the following: