Bathers can tell that the Dead Sea is extremely salty because all they can do in it is float.
Although the researchers have so far tested it only in their laboratory, preliminary results indicate that it has great potential for the real-time monitoring of both sea salt and contamination levels. The sensor will be simpler and less expensive than the traditional method of checking salinity with an electrical conductivity meter, the researchers say. However, the technique is far from becoming a commercial reality. It is part of a three-year European Union research program aimed at developing an integrated system of fiber optic sensors to monitor a variety of physical and chemical parameters in the oceans. A fiber optic sensor could provide real-time monitoring of the saltiness of the sea.