Ocean

Using space-based technologies to monitor marine oil pollution

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico: boat in the middle of an oil spill

Oil spills are a critical form of environmental pollution that have far-reaching negative impacts. They severely degrade marine ecosystems, introducing toxic chemicals into the oceans and harming sea life. They also have significant financial impacts through the diminishment of ecotourism as well as the killing of commercially viable species. Despite these negative impacts, oil spills are notoriously difficult to track and monitor given the general lack of surveillance over the vastness of the Earth’s oceans. Space-based technologies are evolving as a tool to aid in the detection of oil spills worldwide. Two primary technologies have been optimized for oil spill monitoring: optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Optical satellite imagery functions somewhat like taking a photograph of the Earth’s surface and requires clear skies and daylight to produce imagery. SAR imagery, on the other hand, relies on microwaves to produce images, and therefore can function regardless of weather, as well as at night. The combination of these two technologies has allowed scientists an increased ability to monitor where and when oil pollution is happening, providing an eye-in-the-sky to survey marine activities. While these space-based technologies are aiding in the detection of a variety of oil spill incidents, they are particularly helpful to monitor the illegal dumping of oil and effluent from shipping vessels as ships are no longer able to dump oily bilgewater into the ocean under the veil of darkness. Unfortunately, the enforcement of environmental and marine law remains an issue and ships are rarely prosecuted. It will be important for space-based technologies to continue to evolve and provide evidence of marine pollution in the effort to provide protection for Earth’s marine ecosystems.

What to expect?

This year is one of the most important with major milestones linked to global policy agendas. There is the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, there is also the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. These all bring a new set of challenges and opportunities for the international EO community.

About the 2022 UN Ocean Conference

The ocean covers 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, is the planet's largest biosphere, and is home to up to 80 percent of all life in the world. It generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the additional heat generated from those emissions. It is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest carbon sink - a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change.

Overview:

The Executive Steering and Programme Committees are pleased to invite community members from all levels of the value chain, from data providers to users, of operational satellite oceanographic data, products and applications, to attend the 2nd international Operational Satellite Oceanography (OSO) Symposium to be held in a virtual format on 25-27 May 2021.

The meeting is co-organised by EUMETSAT & NOAA NESDIS STAR.