By Janine Dumaguin
The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) encouraged the public to contribute images of the oil spill of the sunken motor tanker (MT) Princess Impress along with its time and location for scientists to develop more accurate forecasts models.
According to UPDMSI, the data provided, together with information from other sources including satellite pictures and computer simulations, will serve as the foundation for the researchers’ forecast models.
“We need continuous monitoring for the presence of oil along the coasts to inform our models. All you have to do is send us your photo of the oil spill, along with when and where the picture was taken,” UPDMSI Associate Professor Irene Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, to address the Mindoro oil spill and stop it from spreading, the UPDMSI’s team of experts has been cooperating closely round-the-clock with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as well as other universities, government agencies, and stakeholders.
Individuals who wish to contribute geotagged images of the MT Princess Empress oil spill can access this form: https://bit.ly/MTPE_GPS.
The use of a GPS-enabled phone and GPS camera app is also encouraged in order for the location data to be preserved.
Such public-sourced initiatives often called “citizen science” and “citizen journalism” tap into the local knowledge of people on the ground to help build up a better understanding of oftentimes complex, large-scale phenomena. – gb