Marpol Annex I is the first implementation made by

Marpol 73/78 The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" (short for "marine pollution") is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. It ...

, one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. The convention was designed to minimize pollution of the seas from ships. The objective of the convention is to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances. The Marpol Annex I began to be enforced on October 2, 1983, and it details the prevention of pollution by oil and oily water. Marpol Annex I details the discharge requirements for the prevention of pollution by oil and oily materials. It continues to enforce the oil discharge criteria described in the 1969 amendments to the 1954 Oil Pollution Convention. It also introduces the idea of "special areas" which are considered to be at extra risk to oil pollution. Discharge of oil within them have been completely outlawed but there are a few minor exceptions. Also in 2003, in a joint effort IMO and MEPC came out wit
Circ.406 Guidelines for Application of MARPOL Annex I Requirements to FPSOs and FSUs
Later in 2006, the United States Coast Guar
published Guidance for the Enforcement of MARPOL Annex I During PSC Examinations
This was a

USCG The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, mi ...

policy letter that provided instruction to PSC officers with regard to

Oil Record Book All cargo vessels where MARPOL Convention is applicable must have an oil record book in which the officer responsible will record all oil or sludge transfers and discharges within the vessel. This is necessary for authorities to be able to monit ...

Oily Water Separators An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

, and

Oil content meter An oil content meter (OCM) is an integral part of all oily water separator (OWS) systems. Oil content meters are also sometimes referred to as oil content monitors, bilge alarms, or bilge monitors. OCM technology The OCM continuously monitors ...

inspections during PSC visits. The first half of Marpol Annex I deals with

engine room On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the Compartment (ship), compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. The engine room is generally the largest physical compartment of the machinery space. It houses the vessel's prime move ...

waste. There are many new technologies and equipment that have been developed to prevent waste such as:

Oily water separators An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

(OWS), Oil Content meters (OCM), and

Port Reception Facilities Port reception facilities are a place that international shipping ports must provide to collect residues, oily mixtures, and garbage generated from an ocean-going vessel. contaminants generated by ships cannot be discharged directly to the ocean. A ...

.{{Cite web, title = International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), url =https://www.imo.org/en/about/Conventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the-Prevention-of-Pollution-from-Ships-(MARPOL).aspx , website = www.imo.org , access-date = 2025-03-14 The second part of the Marpol Annex I has more to do with cleaning the cargo areas and tanks.

Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment Oil discharge monitoring equipment (ODME) is based on a measurement of oil content in the ballast and slop water, to measure conformance with regulations. The apparatus is equipped with a GPS, data recording functionality, an oil content meter an ...

(ODME) is a technology that has greatly helped improve efficiency and environmental protection in these areas.

References

Ocean pollution

See also

References