The oil spill off the coast of Mauritius in August demonstrated how satellite-based, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to assist clean-up efforts.

Ursa Space’s team of SAR experts began analyzing imagery shortly after the bulk carrier MV Wakashio struck a coral reef on July 25.

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The tragic oil spill caused by the bulk carrier MV Wakashio off the coast of Mauritius illustrates how satellite imagery and data analysis can be used to monitor events as they unfold.

In our last two blogs, we provided information on the size/location of the oil spill and plotted the Wakashio’s ill-fated voyage.

After a bulk carrier began spilling tons of oil near the southeast coast of Mauritius, creating an environmental disaster in the pristine waters of the Indian Ocean, crews worked to transfer the remaining fuel onboard and prevent further damage.

On August 12, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said almost all the oil had been pumped out, nearly a week after the vessel began leaking.