Evaluation of the ACR SmartButton thermometer and a low-cost protective case for continuous stream temperature measurement

Water temperature is a common variable of interest in stream ecology studies. In this paper, the performance of the ACR SmartButton thermometer and a low-cost protective case were evaluated for stream temperature measurement. The accuracy of the SmartButtons at 0, 10 and 15 ◦C was well within the ± 1 ◦C range specified by the manufacturer. For 50-60 % of the readings performed, the error was greater than the ± 0.2 ◦C correction factor accepted for meteorological temperature measurements. However, the observed level of accuracy is most likely sufficient for most biological applications if the loggers are calibrated against a reference standard. The metallic case that we used had a negligible effect on temperature measurements and offers a reliable way to protect the SmartButton during use in small streams