To: ECOP – MIDDLE EAST – Planet – NOAA - Copernicus Operational Support / Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS)
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Presidency of the Union of Arab Academics (TUOAA) presents its compliments to your esteemed organization. We highly commend your pivotal role in leveraging space-borne technologies and Earth observation data to safeguard global marine ecosystems and ensure environmental sustainability.
Problem Abstract
In our capacity as an academic and research institution dedicated to the geostrategic, oceanographic, and environmental security of Arab maritime corridors, we urgently draw your attention to an escalating ecological threat in the Southern Red Sea, specifically along the coast of the Al-Hudaydah Governorate (encompassing the districts of As-Salif, Ras Isa, and Kamran Island, Yemen).
Serious concerns have arisen regarding potential hydrocarbon leaks or hazardous chemical discharges from the detained roll-on/roll-off vessel, Galaxy Leader. This critical maritime zone shelters highly vulnerable and ecologically sensitive marine habitats, including extensive mangrove ecosystems (Avicennia marina) and pristine coral reef complexes. These habitats serve as vital spawning grounds and nurseries for regional fish stocks, sustaining the primary livelihoods of thousands of artisanal fishers. Consequently, any unmitigated oil spill or toxic contamination in this area would trigger catastrophic socio-economic and ecological repercussions, severely undermining regional food security and marine biodiversity.
Cooperation & Data Request
Driven by our shared scientific responsibility, and in an effort to support the ongoing localized field assessments and emergency response strategies led by national marine research bodies, we respectfully request urgent technical cooperation and spatial data access from the Copernicus programmatic infrastructure, specifically focusing on the following requirements:
- Near-Real-Time SAR Imagery: Provision of updated, continuous, and orthorectified Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from Sentinel-1 (GRD products, acquired in IW mode with VV polarization). This specific configuration is highly optimized for sea-surface roughness analysis and oil spill detection mapping within the vessel's localized geographic coordinates.
- Advanced Marine Analytics: Assistance in obtaining processed spatial outputs, including dark-formation segmentation maps and hydrodynamic drift trajectories (metocean oil spill modeling), to enable our scientific teams to implement proactive mitigation and containment frameworks for the threatened shoreline.
We profoundly rely on your steadfast commitment to supporting the international scientific community in environmental conservation. We look forward to establishing immediate technical coordination and data-sharing workflows to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Red Sea.
Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration and esteem.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Dr. Mohammed Ali Ahmad Humran
President of the Union of Arab Academics (TUOAA)
Member of ECOP – MIDDLE EAST
Email: humran976@gmail.com
Tel: 00967773292655
