Toward monitoring and estimating the size of the HFO-contaminated seabed around a shipwreck using MBES backscatter data

Marta Szafrańska; Mateusz Gil; Jarosław Nowak

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112747

Toward monitoring and estimating the size of the HFO-contaminated seabed around a shipwreck using MBES backscatter data

Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Oct:171:112747. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112747. Epub 2021 Jul 27.

Authors

Marta Szafrańska¹, Mateusz Gil², Jarosław Nowak¹

Affiliations

¹ MEWO S.A., Starogardzka 16, 83-010 Straszyn, Poland.
² Research Group on Maritime Transportation Risk and Safety, Gdynia Maritime University, Morska 81-87, 81-225 Gdynia, Poland; Marine Technology Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15300, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland. Electronic address: m.gil@wn.umg.edu.pl.

PMID: 34325151
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112747

Abstract

Despite a progressive reduction of oil spills caused by the activity of maritime transportation, the latent sources of pollution still exist. Although the harmful impact of heavy fuel oil (HFO) on the marine environment is widely known, many shipwrecks cause contamination of the surrounding areas. In this paper, an approach to monitor the area of the HFO spill around a shipwreck is made using a bottom backscattering strength (BBS) obtained by a multibeam echosounder (MBES). As a case study, the s/s Stuttgart wreck located in the Gulf of Gdansk (Poland) is verified. Two different measurement campaigns have been carried out in shallow waters using low (190 kHz) and high (420 kHz) MBES frequency. The results indicate that the polluted area around s/s Stuttgart was estimated at 49.1 ha, which is around 18.3% more in comparison to the geological surveys made four years earlier.

Keywords: Backscatter; Heavy fuel oil (HFO); Marine pollution monitoring; Multibeam echosounder (MBES); Shipwreck; Submerged oil.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring
Fuel Oils*
Petroleum Pollution*
Poland

Substances

Fuel Oils