Oil Pollution Hazards Assessments Using Remote Sensing Techniques in the Northwestern Arabian Gulf: Perspectives on Natural Oil Seepages and Anthropogenic Oil Spills

Kuwait is an oil-producing country, and as a consequence, its marine environment is episodically experiencing oil pollution from various natural and anthropogenic sources. In this chapter, we attempt to comprehensively outline thorough remote sensing documentation of all sources of oil entry into Kuwait's territorial waters. Kuwait sea is frequently bombarded by accidental oil spillages and natural seepages from the seabed, leakages from oil tankers and loading piers, etc. The justification for investigating the harmful effects of oil pollution on marine ecosystems developed because of its significance as an environmental hazard in the Arabian Gulf with specific emphasis on the northwestern region (Kuwait Territorial Waters). Findings reported in this study and acquired images by Sentinel-1A SAR and drone for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 have successfully documented the presence of oil spills, natural seepage, slicks, and sheens in the northwestern Arabian Gulf that have not been previously reported in this depth and magnitude. The applied combination of analytical techniques used in this investigative study like remote sensing, GIS, and drone aerial photography enabled us to better understand the extent of oil pollution in the Kuwaiti sea. Also, the tools applied are proven to be advantageous diagnostic tools for monitoring oil movement trajectories in marine compartments. We have concluded that there is an episodic and incidental presence of oil pollution in Kuwait's marine waters. This conclusion is supported by published literature on oil toxicity on native aquatic biota which demonstrated in this context the extent of environmental hazards associated with oil in northwestern waters of the Arabian Gulf. Results indicated in this chapter will serve as a holistic description of the state of oil hazards, in the northwestern Arabian Gulf. A versatile and comprehensive oil hazard assessment program should be locally and regionally developed that incorporates analytical tools applied in this study and toxicological investigations to better understand oil pollution hazards in marine waters.