Pitch
Dr. Ocean aims to build a web of floatable spill detectors located at strategic points in oceans and seas. Contamination of waters, especially near hydrocarbon production platforms, or during transportation such as from oil tankers or underground pipelines, has historically had significant impacts on health, safety, the environment, and the economy. Most contaminants are easily ignored until they reach very significant levels, resulting in a huge plume of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) on the surface of water, sometimes traveling long distances, such as to coastal habitations. Therefore, detecting these contaminants at initial stages (low concentrations) can help prevent an impending catastrophe. Dr. Ocean aims to achieve this through fast, cheap, and reliable water-quality sensors placed on foldable devices and webs (see figure).
