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This report presents relevant satellite Earth observation technologies and applications related to the targets to be monitored by the buoy system to be developed and used within WARMER. Few of the actual parameters measured by the WARMER buoy system are directly mapped directly by any of the existing (and planned) satellite Earth observation sensors. Accordingly, we suggest an integrated monitoring approach using a facet of optical, infrared and microwave satellite Earth observation sensors for mapping of the WARMER demonstration areas. The integrated use of these information sources will then form the basis for the assessment of the emergency /environmental situation. The proposed suit of EO sensors includes the European Space Agency Envisat sensors - MERIS FR (Medium resolution Imaging Spectrometer – Full Resolution), AATSR (Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer), and ASAR (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar Image mode). Similar EO sensor systems are in operation by other space agencies, e.g. NASA (MODIS Aqua and Terra) and Canada (Radarsat).This approach will provide the WARMER project with regional and local information about the aquatic ecosystem system that will be integrated and used in connection with the buoy monitoring., NERSC Technical Report no. 289. Funded by the EU under FP6 Contract no. 034472

The overall objective has been to develop and demonstrate marine oil spill detection and prediction systems based on satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and other space data in combination with models for monitoring and assessment of environmental stress in Russian and Ukrainian seas. The project has been implemented through the following tasks: • 1: Wave modeling and studies of wave damping by oil films. The physical properties of crude oil and oil derivatives (CO/OD) films have been studied in labaratory experiments in order to develop an improved model of short wind wave damping under various oil film conditions. • 2: Radar scattering modeling. An improved model of radar scattering from the sea surface covered by oil and biogenic films has been developed. This model is used as input to an advanced algorithm of SAR/RAR detection of oil spills and their properties. The radar scattering model has been compared with radar experiment observations. • 3: Satellite image analysis. Spaceborne SAR and RAR images have been collected and analyzed for the the Black Sea the Caspian Sea and the Kara Sea. A specific field experiment was conducted in the Black Sea for validation of ASAR data in an area of experimental oil spill. The statistics of oil spills and their visibility/detectability in SAR images under wind conditions has been studied based on archived SAR data in the Black Sea. • 4: Oil drift modeling. An oil spill drift model for cold waters in the Northern Sea Route has been developed and tested. This model can be used to forecast the drift of an oil spill under different wind, wave, current and ice condiitons. • 5: Dissemination and promotion. The results of the satellite observation and modeling work developed in Task 1 – 4 have been disseminated viat publication, reports and presentations at conferences. • 6: Networking. The research and development work in OSCSAR has been used to establish a network between institutions in Russia, Ukraine and western European countries. Several significant results have been obtained regarding impact of slicks on gravity-capillary waves, modelling of wave damping by slicks, development and testing of oil drift model, and analysis of many SAR images in the three study areas, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Kara Sea. Also a field experiment was conducted providing useful data for validation of SAR signatures of slicks. Further work is needed in all of the tasks in order to develop operational monitoring, classification, modelling and forecasting of oil spills., NERSC Technical Report no. 271. Funded by the International Aeronautical Federation.

The overall objective of DISMAR has been to develop an advanced information system for monitoring and forecasting the marine environment to improve management of pollution crises in coastal and ocean regions of Europe. The DISMAR services are made in support of public administrations and emergency services responsible for prevention, mitigation and recovery of crises such as oil spill pollution and harmful algae blooms (HABs). In the first two years of the project, we developed the first version of a prototype information system, DISPRO-1. The design and implementation of this prototype was based on user requirements extracted from a survey of existing monitoring services in the participating countries (Norway, Germany, Italy, France, UK and Ireland), complemented with a literature review of recent coastal zone GIS for environmental monitoring, forecasting and risk management. The implementation was based on state-of-the-art GIS and web technologies, in line with recommendations from INSPIRE and GMES. In the third and final year of the project, an extended version – DISPRO-2 – was implemented, tested and validated. A number of algorithms and models for generation of products for marine pollution monitoring and forecasting were used or developed during the project. These products, algorithms and models include: - Ground based radar Doppler (for pollution detection and guiding skimming ships), - ENVISAT ASAR (for oil pollution detection, using both single and multi-channel data), - Aircraft data (IR/UV, laser fluorosensor, microwave sensors, fused for oil spill detection), - New Ferrybox sensor (for in-situ water quality survey and satellite validation). - ENVISAT MERIS/AATSR (for water quality and algae blooms survey), - AVHRR for monitoring of sea-surface temperature, - SeaWiFS, Aqua-MODIS and Terra-MODIS (for water quality and algae blooms survey), - A 3D oil spill drift model (OD3D) that can be set up for multiple ocean areas, - An oil spill drift model tailored for the Adriatic Sea, - An ecological model (for prognostic information on algal blooms, set up for the western English Channel)., NERSC Technical Report no. 266. Funded by the European Union, Contract IST-2001-37657

The objective of IWICOS is to develop a prototype marine information system that will provide end-users with a single-entry access point to meteorological, sea ice and oceanographic data and products in electronic form for users of operational services. These include national ice and weather services, shipping companies and sea traffic adminis- tration, icebreaker captains and ice pilots of ships, oil companies and offshore industry, fishing vessels and other ships operating in harsh climate, and finally climate research, education and media. The core elements of the IWICOS system are standardised formats (BSQ, GRIB, Shapefile and XML) a common metadata definition, a producer server, a broker, and façades that allow different client software to interact with the system. Practical demonstrations and evaluation of the IWICOS system have been performed for selected end-users during 2002. More information can be found on http://www.nersc.no/Mwicos

The aim is to build a pre-operational altimeter data analysis and archive system for ocean currents, and to assess the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the ocean current information provided by such EO data for applications by a major customer group: the offshore oil industry., NERSC Technical Report no. 183. Funded by the European Union through Contract no. ENV4-CT98-0739

Two patients had many acute episodes of biliary pain with elevated liver function tests 12-48 h after the last ingestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (including paracetamol) alone or in combination with codeine. One had known intolerance to NSAIDs, but paracetamol had not been previously incriminated in the pathogenesis of the attacks. In this patient the combined use of paracetamol and codeine probably also increased the severity of the episodes. We conclude that in some patients in whom endoscopic cholangiography is normal, biliary pain and abnormal liver function tests could be the result of NSAIDs. A thorough drug history is required in such cases.