# Adopt-A-Float — The MERMAID App

> Access EarthScope-Oceans MERMAID fleet trajectory and health data. (iPhone/iPad app by Frederik Simons.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adopt-a-float/id1473875623 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Frederik Simons](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687712314)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.5 · 1 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2021-06-29
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adopt-a-float/id1473875623/reviews.md

## What is Adopt?

Adopt-A-Float allows users to access trajectory metadata and state-of-health parameters of the EarthScope-Oceans MERMAID fleet. MERMAID, short for Mobile Earthquake Recording in Marine Areas by Independent Divers, is a long-lived drifting autonomous float equipped with a hydrophone capable of recording acoustic waveforms generated by distant earthquakes. Most earthquakes occur at or near plate boundaries, yet most seismic monitoring stations are on dry land. Deployed but not recovered, telemetering data in near-real-time, MERMAIDs are uniquely positioned as a low-cost alternative for geophysical and environmental oceanic data collection. Diving down to a typical parking depth of 1500 m below the ocean surface, they passively drift with the ocean currents, recording the ambient acoustic wavefield, identifying earthquake signals, and surfacing to report those, on average every 4-7 days with the current settings, which are expected to give them a five-year life span. When at the surface, MERMAID collects GPS location and time information and communicates with the IRIDIUM satellite constellation using RUDICS. 

Using this iOS app you can:
View the current location of all MERMAID instruments
View their most recent trajectories and obtain information about ocean depth
View instrumental metadata such as battery level and instrument pressure readings
Identify the instruments by name and by operating institution


Developed by Tenzing Sherpa
©2021 by Frederik J Simons (www.frederik.net)

Let us know what you think! Give us feedback via https://github.com/tenzingsherpaa/AdoptAFloat-3.0/issues

We acknowledge support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (www.nsf.org) under grants OCE-1917058 and EAR-1150145 (CAREER), and from Princeton University.

MERMAID was designed by scientists and engineers and is now built by OSEAN SAS (www.osean.fr), from which it is commercially available.

EarthScope-Oceans (www.earthscopeoceans.org) is an organization founded by a multidisciplinary group of geoscientists who are coordinating efforts to create a global network of sensors that monitor the Earth from within the oceanic environment. As other organizations are doing for the land-based seismological communities today, EarthScope-Oceans shepherds national projects into the international arena where globally relevant, applicable, and mutually agreed-upon decisions can be made on instrument development, science objectives, data management, and outreach.

## Key features

- View MERMAID instrument locations
- Access recent trajectories
- Obtain ocean depth information
- View instrumental metadata
- Identify instruments by name and institution

## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adopt-a-float/id1473875623/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Educational about Buoys

*2024-10-23*

This app was really informative to see, the interactive real time data on the buoys were amazing to see and it was nice to see how it’s all over the world

## Frequently asked questions about Adopt

### What is Adopt-A-Float used for?

Adopt-A-Float allows users to access trajectory metadata and state-of-health parameters of the EarthScope-Oceans MERMAID fleet. These autonomous floats record acoustic waveforms generated by distant earthquakes.

### How often do MERMAID floats report data?

MERMAID floats report data on average every 4-7 days with current settings. They dive to 1500m, passively drift with currents, and surface to transmit data via the IRIDIUM satellite constellation.

### What kind of data can I view in Adopt-A-Float?

You can view the current location and most recent trajectories of all MERMAID instruments, along with ocean depth information. Instrumental metadata like battery level and pressure readings are also accessible.

### Is Adopt-A-Float available on Android?

Adopt-A-Float is currently available for iPhone and iPad. The app supports iOS devices, as indicated by its platform compatibility.

### How much does Adopt-A-Float cost?

Adopt-A-Float is available for free. There are no costs associated with downloading or using the application.

### Who developed Adopt-A-Float?

Adopt-A-Float was developed by Tenzing Sherpa and is copyrighted by Frederik J Simons. The project acknowledges support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and Princeton University.

### How can I provide feedback for Adopt-A-Float?

You can provide feedback for Adopt-A-Float by visiting the GitHub issues page at https://github.com/tenzingsherpaa/AdoptAFloat-3.0/issues. This is the designated channel for user suggestions and bug reports.

### What is the age rating for Adopt-A-Float?

Adopt-A-Float has an age rating of 4+. This indicates that the content is generally suitable for children and does not contain mature themes.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 3.0 — 2024-10-23

What’s New in This Version:

Enhanced Real-Time Data Integration: Improved initial buoy data retrieval with seamless caching, ensuring faster subsequent loads and a smoother tracking experience.
New Loading Pop-Up: Added a friendly pop-up to inform users of initial data download times, ensuring clear communication during setup.
Improved User Interface: Refined the map-based interface with smoother polylines for buoy paths, better performance, and more interactive visualizations.
Optimized Dark Mode: Updated the About View for better contrast and readability in dark mode, making the app visually appealing in all settings.
Minor Bug Fixes: Addressed stability issues and enhanced performance for a more reliable experience.

### 0.9 — 2021-06-29

No release notes.

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## Related topics

[oceanveil](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/oceanveil)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*