Page 1 - Assessment

Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Marine Pollution Bulletin

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Assessment of oil slick hazard and risk at vulnerable coastal sites

c
c
a
Donata Melaku Canu a,⇑ , Cosimo Solidoro a,b , Vinko Bandelj , Giovanni Quattrocchi , Roberto Sorgente ,
c
c
Antonio Olita , Leopoldo Fazioli , Andrea Cucco c
a OGS, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42 c, Sgonico, Trieste, Italy
b
International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera, 11, Trieste, Italy
c
CNR-IAMC, Sect. Oristano, c/o International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09072 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
article i nfo abstract
Article history: This work gives an assessment of the hazard faced by Sicily coasts regarding potential offshore surface oil
Available online xxxx spill events and provides a risk assessment for Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and Special
Protection Areas (SPA). A lagrangian module, coupled with a high resolution finite element three dimen-
Keywords: sional hydrodynamic model, was used to track the ensemble of a large number of surface trajectories fol-
Oil slick lowed by particles released over 6 selected areas located inside the Sicily Channel. The analysis was
Particle tracking carried out under multiple scenarios of meteorological conditions. Oil evaporation, oil weathering, and
Sicily Channel
Vulnerability shore stranding are also considered. Seasonal hazard maps for different stranding times and seasonal risk
MPA maps were then produced for the whole Sicilian coastline. The results highlight that depending on the
meteo-marine conditions, particles can reach different areas of the Sicily coast, including its northern
side, and illustrate how impacts can be greatly reduced through prompt implementation of mitigation
strategies.
Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction trawling in the Strait of Sicily has generated data (Garofalo et al.,
2011; Fiorentino et al., 2003) that confirm these biological features
The Sicily Channel is a dynamically active area characterized by and indicate the presence of important persistent areas of concen-
complex circulation structures, which cover the whole spectrum of trated fisheries in the Strait at the Adventure Bank, close to point
spatial and temporal scales (Napolitano et al., 2003). The circula- R3 in Fig. 1. These authors also highlight the need for spatial pro-
tion is the result of the interactions between basin scale and tection measures in the Adventure Bank area, including a marine
mesoscale circulations. The basin scale circulation is mainly driven protected area designation, to ensure the long-term sustainability
by the slow Mediterranean thermohaline circulation, which gener- of these fisheries and conserve fish stocks (Garofalo et al., 2011).
ates a two-layer flow with the less saline Modified Atlantic Water The Sicily Channel – SCH hereafter – hosts several biodiversity
(MAW) flowing eastward at the surface and the saltier Levantine hotspots (Coll et al., 2012) and is listed among the top priority
Water flowing westward below. The mesoscale circulation results areas for future proposed conservation plans in the
mainly from interactions between the complex topography, Mediterranean Sea (Micheli et al., 2013). However, the SCH is also
characterized by the presence of a shallow sill, steep bathymetric affected by multiple threats related to a range of on- and offshore
gradients, and variable atmospheric forcing. The resulting high-en- human activities. These cumulative threats are mainly related to
ergy dynamical processes influence the water mass exchanges coastal activities, fisheries, and intense maritime activities, includ-
between the eastern and the western Mediterranean sub-basins ing oil and gas exploration, extraction, and transportation. Marine
(Sorgente et al., 2003; Beranger et al., 2004; Poulain and management and conservation initiatives therefore need to be sup-
Zambianchi, 2007). The presence of high-energy processes, such ported by planning processes that consider all such aspects and
as fronts, jets, eddies and vortices, generates local hotspots of balance the need for development with the need to protect the
nutrient enrichment, biological productivity, larval food dis- environment (EU 2013/0074 (COD)).
tribution, and local retention of eggs and larvae (Agostini and Here, we exemplify how a quantitative understanding of ocean
Bakun, 2002; Placenti et al., 2013). Long term experimental dynamics and connectivity among areas produces information that
can be used to implement management and conservation initia-
tives in the Sicily Channel as well as to support marine spatial
⇑ Corresponding author.
planning and Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management of
E-mail address: dcanu@inogs.it (D. Melaku Canu).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.03.006
0025-326X/Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: Melaku Canu, D., et al. Assessment of oil slick hazard and risk at vulnerable coastal sites. Mar. Pollut. Bull. (2015), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.03.006