On 18 October, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed on one of its studies that proves that measures implemented by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2020 would have proved successful in reducing maritime pollution.
Using 17 years of daytime satellite imagery (2003-2020), the researchers found that the number of pollution tracks from ships decreased significantly after the regulation requiring a reduction in fuel sulphur content came into force. The authors of the report state that commercial disruptions related to COVID-19 also played a minor role in the observation of the phenomenon.