Oil slicks from vessels and offshore oil operations repeatedly entered marine protected areas worldwide between 2022 and 2025, according to a new analysis.
Researchers from SkyTruth, a nonprofit using satellite imagery, detected dozens of slicks covering hundreds of square kilometers in protected waters. The analysis documented persistent, chronic oil pollution originating from shipping and offshore oil and gas operations. Wind and currents can carry pollution into these protected zones even if the source is outside.
The Republic of Congo’s Conkouati-Douli National Park recorded the most significant oil pollution in a marine protected area, with 27 slicks totaling 880 square kilometers. These slicks likely originated from three offshore oil platforms located outside the park, an area critical for sharks, rays, dolphins, whales, manatees, and nesting sea turtles. In the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 417 square kilometers of oil slicks impacted two important marine protected areas, including Spain’s Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor, which registered 45 slicks solely from vessels.
Source: Mongabay