About SeaSenseLib

SeaSenseLib is a Python library for reading, converting, and plotting oceanographic sensor data from various instruments and formats. The package is designed to work with data from both moored instruments and CTD profiles, supporting multiple file formats commonly used in oceanographic research.

Key Features:

  • Multiple Format Support: Read data from Seabird CNV files, RBR RSK files, NetCDF, CSV, Nortek ASCII, and more

  • Flexible Data Processing: Convert between formats, resample data, extract subsets, and calculate statistics

  • Data Visualization: Create T-S diagrams, vertical profiles, and time series plots

  • Command-Line Interface: Easy-to-use CLI for common data processing tasks

  • Extensible Architecture: Modular design and plugin system allow easy addition of new functionality

  • Parameter Mapping: Handle different column naming conventions across file formats

Supported Instruments:

  • Seabird CTD instruments (CNV and ASCII format)

  • RBR CTD and moored instruments (RSK, ASCII and MATLAB format)

  • Nortek current meters (ASCII format)

  • ADCP data (MATLAB format e.g., output from rdadcp)

  • RCM data (MATLAB format)

  • Sea & Sun Technology instruments (TOB format)

  • General CSV and NetCDF files

See also the Supported File Formats for a complete list of supported formats and instruments.

Project Goals:

SeaSenseLib aims to simplify the process of working with oceanographic sensor data by providing:

  1. Standardized Data Access: Convert proprietary formats to standard xarray Datasets

  2. Consistent API: Uniform interface across different instrument types

  3. CF Convention Support: Ensure output data follows Climate and Forecast metadata conventions

  4. Research Reproducibility: Enable easy sharing and reprocessing of oceanographic datasets

  5. Educational Use: Provide tools suitable for teaching oceanographic data analysis

Who Should Use SeaSenseLib:

  • Oceanographic researchers working with CTD and mooring data

  • Students learning oceanographic data analysis

  • Data managers converting legacy datasets

  • Anyone needing to visualize or process oceanographic sensor data

Community and Support:

SeaSenseLib is developed and maintained by the oceanographic community. We welcome contributions, bug reports, and feature requests through our GitHub repository.