Pondi: A low-cost logger for long-term monitoring of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide in aquatic and terrestrial systems.

• DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/54rd2_v2
• Publication Date: 2025-01-31T15:16:45Z
• Authors: Martino E. Malerba; Blake Edwards; Lukas Schuster; Omosalewa Odebiri; Josh Glen; Rachel Kelly; Paul Phan; Alistair Grinham; Peter I. Macreadie
• Keywords: Physical Sciences and Mathematics; Life Sciences; Other Environmental Sciences; Environmental Sciences

Understanding the complex dynamics of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems requires extensive monitoring campaigns to capture spatial and temporal variations adequately. However, conventional commercial GHG analysers limit data collection due to their high costs, limited portability, cumbersome weight, and restricted field autonomy. To overcome these challenges, we developed the ‘Pondi’ – a lightweight (0.8 kg) logger from cost-effective components tailored for long-term (weeks to months) continuous monitoring of CO2, CH4, and N2O in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The Pondi features solar panels for indefinite runtime, GPS for tracking, a gyroscope for motion detection, and an optional microcontroller to support self-venting and additional sensors. It can be deployed on floating chambers to monitor aquatic emissions, or on land for net primary productivity. The Pondi maintains continuous connectivity to a cloud-based system, facilitating real-time data access and enabling remote configuration. The components for the Pondi are readily available in most countries, and standard engineering and IT skills are sufficient to assemble the device. By offering a practical, cost-effective, and reliable solution for GHG flux monitoring, the Pondi contributes to efforts to assess and mitigate anthropogenic GHG emissions that cause climate change.