Phil Bresnahan

My ultimate goal is to contribute to our understanding of marine chemistry in order to help protect the oceans for the good of those who rely on them (everyone!). I’m a research engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the head of R&D for the Smartfin Project. I enjoy working on many aspects of ocean sensor networks, including sensor innovation (electrical and mechanical design as well as laboratory and field analysis), cloud data management, and, ultimately, data analysis and visualization. I invent and apply novel marine sensing techniques and analytical approaches in the (mostly coastal) ocean in order to investigate natural and human-caused phenomena.

I work and play where the ocean meets the land. I’m a coastal oceanographer, surfer, paddleboarder, rower, sailor, teacher, and learner. Humans have always thought of coasts as playgrounds but we’ve more recently recognized that we also treat them as dumping grounds for our trash, (micro-)plastics, (treated) sewage, fossil fuel CO2 emissions, and countless other chemicals. I study coastal waters because I want to protect them. For myself and for you. And for many generations to come.

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