Rapid response to marine environmental emergencies: the Toconao plastic pellet spill

The challenge

Accidental spills at sea pose an immediate threat to coastal ecosystems, economic activities linked to the coast and environmental safety. When an incident occurs, accurately predicting where pollutants will travel is essential for activating effective protection measures and optimising response resources.

The complexity of ocean currents, waves and weather conditions makes it necessary to have tools capable of anticipating how these events will evolve in real time.

The loss of containers from the Toconao off the Portuguese coast in late 2023 put the entire Bay of Biscay coastline on alert, making monitoring and modelling essential.

The solution

AZTI developed operational marine drift simulation and forecasting systems based on high-resolution oceanographic models and real-time observations from euskOOS.

These tools made it possible to:

• Simulate the transport and dispersal of plastic pellets at the sea surface.
• Integrate information on currents, wind and waves.
• Generate risk maps and predictive scenarios.
• Support decision-making throughout the emergency response.

The results

• Scientific and technical support to the Basque Government for the activation and management of the ITSASERTZA Plan.
• Operational forecasts to anticipate the arrival of pollutants on the coast.
• Improved coordination between public authorities and emergency response organisations.
• Strengthened response capacity for marine pollution incidents.