An Oil Spill in the Bosporus: The Gotia Accident

On October 6, 2002, M/V GOTIA, carrying 163 metric tons of fuel oil in her fuel tanks, rammed into the Emirgan Pier in the Bosporus. One of the fuel tanks started leaking oil in to the Bosporus. The ship continued its passage and finally anchored when it reached the Marmara Sea where the leaking tank was repaired. Following the accident, the strong surface current, rapidly transported the oil southward all the way to the southern opening to the Marmara Sea. During the passage, the oil slick contaminated the sea water, the boats, and the waterfront structures along the western coast of the Bosporus including piers, building, seawalls, buoys and waste barriers. The amount of spill was estimated as 18 tons of marine fuel oil with a density of 0.9454 g/cm at 15C. However, most of the damage was caused by a small fraction of oil which was trapped in small bays along the western coast of the southern half of the Strait.