Resumen de Mesa Redonda: Identificación de riesgos geoambientales potencialesy su valoración en la zona de hundimiento del buque "Prestige"
Grupo Prestige
On Wednesday 13th November 2002, in stormy weather conditions, a serious accident occurredwith the oil tanker "PRESTIGE", which was sailing off the West Coast of Galicia. It was reportedthat the ship, with 77.000 tonnes of heavy fuel on board, was in danger o f sinking because o f alarge crack in the starboard side of the hull. The Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology decided to coordinate all the scientific proceedings related to spilling into the sea. The Ministry thuscreated The Intervention Program in connection with the spilling and sinking of the Prestige vessel.The "Identification and assessment of the geo-environmental hazards in the Prestige sinking area"is one of the studies included in this Program. This study has demonstrated the limited geologicknowledge o f the Spanish continental margins and deep sea areas, especially those of the AtlanticOcean. Likewise, it has demonstrated several deficits related to the lack o f mechanisms and com munication channels between the Public Administration and marine scientists. In this round tableseveral scientific recommendations and subjects to discuss are proposed by the scientists participating in that study, which can be of great interest for the management o f the environment and thedefinition of geo-environmental hazards in deep sea areas
