World Calamity

Control Day:
How Drones Aided Response
Operations in the Mauritius Oil Spill

SWIPE
The Incident
On July 25th, 2020, MV Wakashio, a Japanese
oil tanker, hit the coral reefs of Mauritius
which are known for being a biodiversity
hotspot.
 The Threat
Pointe d'Esny, is home to more than 1,700
species including around 800 types of fish
and over 17 types of marine mammals. The
compounds from the spill could have
dissolved in the water and formed a layer
under the surface causing permanent
damage to its marine ecosystem.
Drones to the Rescue
To aid the clean-up operations, local drone
operators coordinated with the response
teams to help identify areas where the
residue of the oil spill would be heading
and plan a better response.