I. Introduction
Both public opinion and political institutions have increased awareness and sensitivity to marine environment hazards, leading to increasing demand for dependable and continuous maritime monitoring tools in the face of the steady occurrence of pollutant releases into the sea. In this context, mineral oil spills present a major threat, with potential damages involving both on-shore and sea environments, affecting wildlife habitats, breeding grounds, and coastal water quality, and eventually leading to human health concerns. Research has shown how oil spills can affect sea organisms’ and birds’ life cycles [1], even demonstrating DNA damage in mammals fed with contaminated bivalves [2] and toxicological effects on directly exposed humans [3], all emphasizing the value of oil spill monitoring.