In recent years, the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) has faced challenges from oil spills. Despite these known risks, the WCR lacks an operational oil spill surveillance service. Oil spills, as in the case of the 2019 Brazilian incident, are often detected only after the oil has reached environmentally sensitive coastal areas, with surveillance requests sent piecemeal to government agencies in the United States and Europe. 

Caribbean countries highlighted the lack of oil spill monitoring capacity at a workshop hosted by GEO Blue Planet in 2018. As a result, GEO Blue Planet, in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO’s IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE), organised additional workshops in Mexico City and virtually to discuss regional needs and identify regional partners that could provide operational monitoring on the ground. 

Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago is the leading oil producer in the Caribbean, accounting for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, and has extensive oil infrastructure (platforms, pipelines) in the Gulf of Paria and also in the east of the island of Trinidad. Through engagement, we established that the Trinidad and Tobago authorities have long wanted to exploit the possibility of monitoring oil spills by satellite and that they have the personnel and technology in place to analyze the openly and freely available data.

The training 

Staff from the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) trained 18 staff from the Trindad and Tobago’s Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) on satellite detection of oil spills and the production of Marine Pollution Surveillance Reports. Since July 1, 2021, Trinidad and Tobago has been monitoring oil spill incidents in near real time oil spill and issuing reports for its Exclusive Economic Zone.

What comes next?

Moving forward, there is the potential for IMA to expand monitoring to other countries in the region, such as the Lesser Antilles. We will also be looking for additional partners in the region. Let us know if you or another entity in your agency is interested in:

• Learning more about satellite oil spill monitoring;  
• Becoming a user of the oil spill report;  
• Participating in satellite oil spill monitoring training;  
• Developing similar oil spill monitoring capabilities.
• If you are interested in knowing more about the training and satellite oil monitoring operations, regardless of the geographic location, please don't hesitate to reach out as well. 

For more information, please contact Emily Smail (email[at]geoblueplanet.org) or read the information provided here.