Covid 19 Reduced Ship Traffic in 2020, Says Research

By
Mfame Editor
-
14621

  • Ship movements on the world’s oceans dropped in the first half of 2020 as Covid-19 restrictions came into force, a new study shows.
  • Researchers used a satellite vessel-tracking system to compare ship and boat traffic in January to June 2020 with the same period in 2019.
  • Global declines peaked in April 2020, but by June – as Covid restrictions were eased in many countries – ship movements began to increase.

An Eurekalert news article says ship traffic dropped during first months of Covid pandemic.

Ship traffic research 

The study, led by the University of Exeter (UK) and involving the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System and the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (both in Spain), found decreased movements in the waters off more than 70 per cent of countries.

Global declines peaked in April 2020, but by June – as Covid restrictions were eased in many countries – ship movements began to increase.

“As lockdowns came into force, we heard stories and began to see early research findings that suggested reduced boat movements had allowed some marine ecosystems to recover,” said lead-author Dr David March of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

“There were reports of clearer water in Venice’s canals, and a study showed a reduction in underwater noise at Vancouver.”

Professor Brendan Godley, who leads the Exeter Marine research group, added: “The effects of ships and boats – from noise and pollution to fishing and collisions with animals – have a major impact on marine ecosystems across the world.

“Our study aimed to measure the impact of Covid on this traffic, and we are continuing to monitor this as the restrictions on human activity continue to change.

“Quantifying the changes in human activities at sea paves the way to research the impacts of Covid-19 on the blue economy and ocean health.”

Outcome of the study

  • Decreased ship movements in the Exclusive Economic Zones (up to 200 nautical miles offshore) of 70.2 per cent of the 124 countries included in the study.
  • Countries with stricter Covid restrictions saw sharper decreases in ship movements.
  • Global declines peaked in April, with decreases found across all ship categories (i.e. cargo, tankers, fishing, service, recreational and passenger vessels)
  • The largest and longest-lasting reductions were in passenger vessels, while tankers, cargo vessels and fishing boats were least affected.
  • A more detailed analysis of the Western Mediterranean (covering January to November 2020) showed reductions in boat movements reached a maximum of 62.2 per cent during mid-April, being one of the areas with the highest reduction. This included a 93.7 per cent reduction in movements of recreational boats.

“The long-term trend is for increased global ship movements, so a modest decrease may represent a more significant reduction compared to the amount of traffic we would otherwise have seen,” Dr March concluded.

Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?

It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe

Source: Eurekalert

2096 COMMENTS

  13. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  16. I appreciate the effort that goes into creating high-quality content, and this post was no exception. The insights and information were top-notch and made for a really engaging read. Keep up the great work!

  17. This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

  27. I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciate your blog posts. They’re always well-written, informative, and keep me coming back for more. Keep up the great work!

  32. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  34. I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciate your blog posts. They’re always well-written, informative, and keep me coming back for more. Keep up the great work!

  40. It’s not often that we come across content that really resonates with us, but this one is a standout. From the writing to the visuals, everything is simply wonderful.

  42. From start to finish, this blog post had us hooked. The content was insightful, entertaining, and had us feeling grateful for all the amazing resources out there. Keep up the great work!

  45. naturally like your web site however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth on the other hand I will surely come again again.

« Older Comments Newer Comments »

Comments are closed.