AERIAL INVESTIGATION OF MALTESE COASTAL WATERS AS A PART OF THE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY OF SEAWATCH PROJECT

摘要

Within a co-operation agreement between the University of Catania in Sicily, Italy, and the University of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea, a joint research project (named SEAWATCH) was developed. Purpose of the project includes the permanent control of the Mediterranean Sea environment, using satellite and airborne remote sensing techniques. In the last 2 years a number of thermal infrared images were collected on routine basis. Mostly, they were acquired in summer time, when anthropic pressure increases because of a great presence of tourists. The collection of imagery was mainly addressed to the continuous monitoring of the effects of the human activity along the coastal zone, in terms of sewage outlets (both usual and anomalous), localization of fresh water outlets also active in summer, oil pollution occasionally coming from small boats and pleasure vessels. A number of images were collected also over land, close to the new drilling sites for oil exploration in Gozo, Malta, and over some archaeological sites.