Habitat impact assessment: Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico

After BP's Deepwater Horizon accident in April 2010, crude oil was expelled, affecting the marine and onshore environment, as well as the marine dependent economy throughout the Gulf. Afterwards, the controversy over the use of dispersants, the fate of the oil and the impact on the marine environment as well as on the economy in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) made clear that technology for effectively monitoring, documenting and analysing the oil spill dynamics as well as an assessment of its interaction with natural habitats was urgently needed.

GeoVille, specialized in the development and application of state of the art satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) based spatial analysis techniques, was contracted to establish the first full spatial chronology of the Deepwater Horizon accident oil spill evolution and the identification as well as quantification of its site impacts. The impact mapping supported an effective and fast response management in order to minimize the consequences for coastal and marine habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information, click here.