Gucma, Michalina; Deja, Agnieszka
(Scientific Journals Maritime University of Szczecin, Zeszyty Naukowe Akademia Morska w Szczecinie,
)
This paper discusses the use of satellite tracking during an environmental disaster at sea, and it assesses the possibility of using remote sensing imagery captured by satellites using multispectral cameras and synthetic-aperture radar (SAR). This study is based on scientific literature and satellite tracking of the X-Press Pearl container
ship disaster, which involved the EO-Browser platform. The purpose of this paper is to assess selected remote
sensing methods for detecting and tracking marine pollution. The first part of the paper discusses satellite
tracking of the X-Press Pearl disaster. The second part focuses on evaluation of the quality of remote sensing
imagery from satellites and aircraft, when taking weather conditions into consideration. It should be noted that
the research was conducted in real time when the incident occurred. News about the accident was also tracked
in real time, allowing for a thorough analysis of the incident and, thus, an assessment of the different sensing
systems. Although research on such disasters is crucial for the protection of the marine environment, scientific
literature on this topic remains limited. This research area is very important for the protection of the marine
environment, in the context of looking for solutions to these issues.