On April 20 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon platform in the Gulf of Mexico caused the deaths of 11 people and also a fire which finally destroyed the platform. The safety valves on the sea floor failed to work and did not close the well that had been drilled, out of which thousands of barrels of oil started flowing into the marine environment. (more…)

The cargo ship Fedra ran aground on 10 October off the east side of Gibraltar’s Europa Point with 370 tonnes of fuel oil on board. Within hours, the Oil Spill Response team was on site in Gibraltar to assist and advise local teams. Sea Alarm was put on standby, in case a wildlife emergency emerged. (more…)