There is disclosed a portable free drifting oceanographic instrument package for cyclically collecting oceanic and/or fresh water environmental data over a range of depths. The instrument includes, in combination, a submersible housing having mounted thereto (1) a sensor suite for collecting selected environmental data relating to a surrounding medium, (2) a data storage resource for storing environmental data sensed by the sensor suite, (3) a dive control system for controllable positioning the apparatus to a selected depth, (4) a data communications system for facilitating full duplex communication between the apparatus and a remote communications site, (5) a locating system for determining the position of the apparatus, (6) a rechargeable power system for providing operational power to the instrument package, (7) an energy collection system with no moving parts for collecting energy from the environment to recharge the power system, and (8) a system controller for controlling operations of the sensor suite, the data storage resource, the dive control system, the data communications system, the locating system, the rechargeable power system and said energy collection system.
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