A submersible sensor comprising a fluid-tight shell, electrodes operatively coupled to the inner surface of the fluid-tight shell, and a processor disposed within the fluid-tight shell and operatively coupled to the electrodes. The processor is configured to detect capacitance changes at the electrodes, detect a first property of a first medium responsive to first detected capacitance changes of the detected capacitive changes, detect a second property of a second medium responsive to second detected capacitance changes of the detected capacitive changes, and activate one or more operational modes responsive to a difference between the first property and the second property.