MAPRES Marine Pollution Monitoring and Mitigation by Remote Sensing MAPRES is co-financed by the European Commission under the Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution . FINAL TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: MAPRES presentation ................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: General Summary of project implementation process ............. 5 General overview of the process .............................................................................. 5 Comparative analysis of initial and actual time schedule ........................... 5 Comparative analysis of planned and used resources .................................. 5 Comparative analysis of expected and actual results................................... 6 Chapter 3: Evaluation of project management and implementation process ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Positive aspects and opportunities ......................................................................... 7 Partnership and core group cooperation .............................................................8 Cooperation with the Commission ........................................................................... 8 Comments on European value added ..................................................................... 8 Lessons learnt and possible improvements ....................................................... 9 Chapter 4: Activities ...................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4: Activities ...................................................................................................... 10 Comparison between initially planned and actually implemented activities, including monitoring, evaluation and dissemination ............ 10 Qualitative evaluation of the activities ............................................................... 10 Chapter 5: Presentation of the technical results and deliverables .......... 11 TASK A: Sensors, Platforms and Related Methodologies to detect oil spill by Remote Sensing: field of active sensors ............................................ 11 Action A.1: Operational aspects and methods used in the maritime member States to monitor and prevent oil spill ......................................... 11 Action A.2: Technical report on the bibliographic research on the suitable platforms ...................................................................................................... 13 Action A.3: Technical report on the bibliographic research on the existing methodologies ........................................................................................... 14 Action A.4: Definition of the best operational chain for image processing and the methodologies to oil spill detect with limitate errors ................................................................................................................................ 15 TASK B: Sensors, Platforms and relative Methodologies for detect the oil spill by Remote Sensing: field of Passive sensors (UV, NIR, TIR) . 16 Action B.1: A review of the state-of-art of the detection of oil spill in terms of sensors, wavelengths and image processing methods . 16 Action B.2: Compiled tables of the most optimal and suitable wavelengths, sensors and processing methods for the detection of oil spills ............................................................................................................................ 18 Action B.3: The identification of key wavelengths of reflected and emitted radiation which are correlated with oil concentration and oil composition. The identification of the generality of thermal and optical techniques for their separation from the signatures of the surrounding water ..................................................................................................... 19 2 Action B.4: An image library of suitable and key remotely sensed datasets from a variety of sensors concentration on European coastal waters and covering oil spills in a range of different situations ........................................................................................................................ 21 Action B.5: A range of image processing techniques which show efficacy to estimate oil extent and thickness in a range of conditions and situations presented in the images in the image archive .............................................................................................................................. 23 Action B.6: Tested, draft robust and general processing chain for the general detection of oil slicks ...................................................................... 25 Action B.7: A full recommended of oil spill identification protocol for incorporation into the operating manual ............................................... 27 TASK C: Hydrodynamic modelling to forecast the fate of oil spills ...... 29 Action C.1: Coastal model implementation around the Maltese Islands .............................................................................................................................. 29 Action C.2: Testing of β version of oil spill model ..................................... 30 Action C.3: Full implementation of oil spill model ..................................... 31 TASK D: Impact of coastal environment and best practices for mitigation and damage recovery ........................................................................... 32 Action D.1: Technical report on the bibliographic research on the impacts of oil pollution on coastal ecosystems .......................................... 32 Action D.2: Best Practices release on the intervention in case of accident ............................................................................................................................ 33 TASK E: Exercise ............................................................................................................. 35 Action E.1: Exercise on image processing of an oil spill event ........... 35 Action E.2: Exercise on hydrodynamic modelling of oil fate ................ 37 Action E.3: Exercise on mitigation measures and best practices ...... 39 TASK F: Project Management and Reporting to the EC .............................. 41 Action F.1: Action Plan ............................................................................................. 41 Action F.3: Periodic Progress Reports ............................................................. 42 Action F.4: Final Report ........................................................................................... 42 TASK G: Dissemination ................................................................................................ 43 Action G.1: Realization and on line publishing of the web site .......... 43 Action G.2: Editing and printing of MAPRES flyer...................................... 44 Action G.3: Report on the restricted workshop in Edinburgh ............. 44 Action G.4: Report on the dissemination activities in Malta ................ 44 Action G.5: Guidelines on oil pollution monitoring and detection procedures used at European level ................................................................... 46 Action G.6: Report on the open and final conference in Italy ............. 47 Chapter 7: Follow up ......................................................................................................... 49 Comparison between initial and current follow up measures ................ 49 Additional follow up approaches ............................................................................ 49 3 Chapter 1: MAPRES presentation The aim of MAPRES concerns the cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution, in particular the main activity relates to “Marine Pollution Monitoring and detection by aerial surveillance and satellite images”. Large spills of oil and related petroleum products in the marine environment can have serious biological and economic impacts. Around 20% of oil transported by sea traverses the Mediterranean Sea, amounting to an annual flux of 350 million tons of crude oil and refined products. Most of this maritime traffic travels across the Malta Channel, the coastal zones near Sicily Island and Genoa City. North Sea is also a region threatened by this type of pollution. Public and media scrutiny is usually intense following a spill, with demands that the location and extent of the oil spill be identified. Remote sensing is playing an increasingly important role in oil spill response efforts. Through the use of modern remote sensing instrumentation, oil can be monitored on the open ocean around the world. With a knowledge of slick locations and movement, response personnel can more effectively plan countermeasures in an effort to lessen the effects of the pollution. An operating manual on methods, techniques, sensors and procedures for remote sensing and Oil Spill detection, on Hydrodynamic Numerical Simulations for spill propagation forecasting and mitigations procedures, will be the deliverable of the project. An exercise on these procedures will be devoted to the crew members of Coast Guard and aerial surveillance aircrafts and personnel working in the field of Satellite Imageries valuation. 4 Chapter 2: General Summary of project implementation process General overview