Oil slicks detection on sea surface: Remote sensing state-of-the-art and perspectives in Brazil

In the last quarter of 2019, the Brazilian coast received an unprecedented volume of crude oil from the sea, which became the worst marine environmental disaster in the country. Oil spills at sea, accidental or not, cause incalculable and largely irreversible damages to the environment, the health of the population and the local economy. Providing the country with means of monitoring ships and platforms by remote sensors, as well as incidents due to oil spills at sea and forecasting their drift, is a priority that cannot be postponed, since a large increase in maritime traffic in the South Atlantic is expected in the coming years. Distinguishing between natural and anthropic oil slicks is also a challenging task. This session aims to present the recent developments of a coordinated system for monitoring oil slicks at sea, the fundamentals of using remote sensors, the use of new artificial intelligence techniques and new sensors, as well as the experience gained over the years in the Brazil.