Science observation of the ocean is difficult. The cost to repair or replace a failed device can run many orders of magnitude higher than the base component cost.

Instruments, cables, and connectors supplied by commercial oceanographic equipment vendors fail at unacceptably high rates. Most ocean observatories have developed testing and burn-in procedures to weed out problem instruments early, but tested instruments still commonly fail after deployment.

In September 2016, representatives from ocean observatories around the world attended a workshop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to share their experiences and exchange ideas for improvement. Attendees were asked to describe specific examples of trouble and approaches for mitigation. Several oceanographic equipment vendors were also invited, and a few were brave enough to attend. Bravery was needed because products from many vendors have been identified as sources of trouble by more than one observatory.

The Cabled Array portion of the National Science Foundation funded Ocean Observatories Initiative is a large scale, high bandwidth and high power subsea science network developed by the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. Part of that system is a set of moorings and winched profilers which continuously scan the upper 200m of the ocean at their deployment sites. The profilers have been in operation since July 2014 and have accumulated a significant performance record. The general design approach, performance results and lessons learned are described.