NESDIS MPSR: Suspected Oil Spill Reports from Satellite Surveillance

The Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR) metadata is produced by NOAA's Satellite Analysis Branch. It documents suspected oil slicks detected manually in moderate to high-resolution optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery over U.S. and international waters. The reports are issued to support the NOAA Office of Response & Restoration's need for oil spill information.

Use Cases

• Train models to identify oil slicks based on features from optical and SAR satellite imagery described in the metadata.
• Analyze spatial patterns of marine pollution incidents based on reported locations.
• Support emergency response planning by correlating spill reports with environmental and maritime data.
• Monitor long-term trends in accidental or intentional oil discharges in monitored waters.

Strengths

• Produced by the authoritative NOAA Satellite Analysis Branch.
• Reports are based on manual analysis of moderate to high-resolution satellite imagery.
• Covers U.S. waters and international waters upon request.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the primary focus on U.S. waters.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Manual detection and mapping of oil slicks from satellite imagery by analysts.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:28:15.957332; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Primarily U.S. waters, with international waters upon request by OR&R.