The increasing emphasis on military missions in littoral areas has created a need for better real-time meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) data. A Micro-Weather Station (MWS) program was initiated to develop a miniature, low-cost, covert, and autonomous platform to provide continuous, high-accuracy METOC data from restricted areas. Microsensors, and in particular micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), offer the size, cost, and performance needs ofthe MWS. However, there are special technical challenges involved in collecting accurate METOC data with microsensors during military missions. These challenges involve the ability of microsystems to acquire valid data at the air-sea and air-land interfaces where the METOC parameters are distorted by boundary layer effects, local structures, and contamination. Microsensors are particularly prone to fouling due to the micrometer scale ofthe transducers. Microsensors can be protected from the harsh environment is several ways, including placing the transducer behind a protective film, selective sampling ofthe environment, and using microremote sensors such as micro-Lidar.