المملكة: To monitor pollution… launch of marine satellite surveys

The National Center for Environmental Compliance Monitoring announced the launch of marine surveys and sample collection to monitor marine pollution as part of an “integrated program to monitor marine pollution” at the national level.
This is within the framework of the Marine and Coastal Environment Protection Initiative, which aims to strengthen national efforts to protect marine ecosystems and achieve their sustainability, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The initiative includes establishing a real-time monitoring system to monitor the marine environment, with a focus on preserving marine ecosystems and managing them sustainably by assessing the quality of marine environments and identifying potential threats.

Collect and analyze samples

The best advanced technologies were relied upon to collect and analyze samples to ensure the accuracy of the results, in addition to the use of satellites.
The results of the analyzes of water samples will also be compared with the executive regulations for protecting aquatic environments from pollution and the executive regulations for the sustainable management of the marine and coastal environment.

The surveys aim to cover the entire coast and territorial waters of the Kingdom, as the methodology for selecting sites included a study of human impacts, biodiversity, environmental load and other criteria.
Accordingly, the most environmentally sensitive areas were identified to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current situation, and water samples were collected from selected locations, representing the different layers of the water column (surface, intermediate, bottom, sediments) to ensure the comprehensiveness of the results. Naskin packaging will also be used to collect water samples. Marine, in addition to the Grab Veen Van device will be used to collect sediment samples.

Use of satellites

Space data via satellites will be compared with field data to ensure the accuracy of the results, and local monitoring platforms such as smart buoys and coastal stations will be used to enhance the effectiveness of monitoring operations.
The Center’s Director General of Monitoring Networks, Engineer Amer Bamneef, said that this initiative represents a strategic step to enhance marine pollution monitoring using advanced technologies that include marine surveying, sample collection and analysis, sensors on real-time monitoring buoys and the use of drones, in addition to the use of satellites and radar technologies, and laboratory testing of water. Balance.
He stressed that these technologies reflect the center’s commitment to adopting the latest scientific methods to achieve effective protection of marine resources, and that the project contributes to building an accurate database of the current environmental situation, which enhances the Kingdom’s ability to make strategic decisions to protect biological diversity and support sustainable development.