Cape Cod Ocean

A collaboration between the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance (CCCFA), Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) supports joint observational efforts to study oceanographic conditions around Cape Cod and the broader continental shelf. This partnership aims to enhance our understanding of the connections between oceanographic and fishing conditions.

Since August 2024, fishermen have been equipped with CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) sensors, which can be deployed from their vessels to provide profiles of ocean temperature, salinity, and density throughout the water column at various locations off the Cape Cod coast. The CFRF's eMOLT (Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps and Large Trawlers) program has attached temperature sensors to fishing equipment, providing an additional large data set of temperature profiles all throughout the region.

This website provides an interactive tool to visualize the collected data while also providing additional information about current conditions, such as maps of sea surface temperature and salinity in the region, measured by satellite. More information about the datasets can be found on the Data Access subpage.

How to Use: All CTD profiles are represented by the black circular markers on the map while eMOLT profiles are indicated by the smaller, triangular markers. Hovering over a marker displays the date on which the profile was taken. Clicking on a marker opens a pop-up with summary statistics and plots of temperature, salinity, and density beneath the map. To focus in on profiles from only a certain time or project and remove all other profiles, use the "Filter Profiles" panel. The "Select Profiles by Area" button can be used to plot all profiles within a region. To use this feature, click the button, outline the area of interest on the map, confirm the selection be clicking the bottun and the data will populate on the plots. To view satellite imagery, select a "Layer Date" and then choose a dataset (SSS, SST, or Chlorophyll-a) in the "Layer Control" panel. Note: SSS (a rolling average) and Chlorophyll-a (daily imagery) layers are available every day, while the SST layer (a three day average) is available once every three days.