Characterization and quantification of hydrocarbon seeps by means of subsea imaging

Hydrocarbon releases, either natural or due to anthropogenic activities, are of major relevance for the marine environment. Methods and instrumentation developed to characterize and quantify these gas and oil seeps will be presented and discussed along with challenges and future trends. The general approach followed herein is subsea imaging utilizing camera systems and illumination setups on board remotely operated vehicles (ROV) in different sea areas including West of Svalbard and in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on this experience this work showcases improved methodological guidelines for the seep quantification operation together with a novel automated postmission evaluation.