Locations 1 and 2 in South Crete comprise the opposite example,

with the existence of complex directions of prevailing winds, submarine currents and topography contributing for less predictable oil spill advection paths. In the straits separating Crete from continental Greece and Turkey, a close dependence of oil spill advection on prevailing current and wind conditions should exist, as these are known to be seasonally variable (Theocharis et al., 1993 and Theocharis et al., 1999). In Northern Crete, the gentle continental shelf bordering the island contributes to a larger concentration of hydrocarbons close to the shore. Oil dispersion and emulsification might be enhanced if the spill is to form long, linear shapes parallel to the shoreline, sourced from more distant accidents. In contrast, if the spill occurs Etoposide datasheet close to the shoreline it will be important to confine

any stranded tanker to a bay or a coastal spit, taking account the dominant wind and current conditions. The aim in this case should be to confine the spill by shoreline topography, taking account shoreline susceptibility and local demography. Prevalent wind and current conditions are of key importance in confined marine basins. In the worst case scenario large oil spills can rapidly propagate, impacting heavily on islands, spits and bays in Southern Crete. In the case of northerly winds and surface currents, the northern coast of Crete will be in danger, with wind transporting oil slicks towards Crete, while oil spills generated see more close to the Southern Cretan shore will propagate ROS1 into the Libyan Sea, where the conditions to dissipate and sink are improved. In the case of prevailing southerly winds, the southern coast of Crete will

present the largest risk, while the northern coast will present the lowest risk (e.g., Theocharis et al., 1993 and Theocharis et al., 1999). Close to the shoreline, decision-makers should avoid any environmentally protected sites, or major cities, using topographic features on the shoreline as a mean to contain the spill. The accessibility of accident areas needs to be taken into account due to the scarcity of major roads. In areas of complex bathymetry, distant oil spills will have the capacity to degrade and sink (Fig. 5). In this case, downwelling and upwelling effects might be significant as controlling factors to the emergence or submergence of oil. Emulsification and dispersion will be higher if wave conditions are rough, as prevailing wave movement is often dependent on currents and winds (Pye, 1992). In gentler slopes as those in Northern Crete, the potential to pollute vast swathes of the seafloor is greater, adding to the susceptibility of the shoreline – already a region with high demographic pressure (Fig. 5).