@article{fdi:010085188,
  title = {{SAR} satellite imagery reveals the impact of the {C}ovid-19 crisis on ship frequentation in the {F}rench {M}editerranean waters},
  author = {{P}ita, {I}. and {S}eguin, {R}. and {S}hin, {Y}unne-{J}ai and {V}iguier, {P}. and {C}atry, {T}hibault and {D}evillers, {R}odolphe and {M}ouillot, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {C}ovid-19 pandemic is the latest example in a growing number of health, social, economic, and environmental crises humanity is facing. {T}he multiple consequences of this pandemic crisis required strong responses from governments, including strict lockdowns. {Y}et, the impact of lockdowns on coastal ecosystems and maritime activities is still challenging to quantify over large spatial scales in comparison to the pre-{C}ovid period. {I}n this study, we used an object detection algorithm on {S}ynthetic {A}perture {R}adar ({SAR}) images acquired by the two {S}entinel-1 satellites to assess the impact of the {C}ovid-19 crisis on the presence of boats before, during and after lockdown periods in the {F}rench {M}editerranean {E}xclusive {E}conomic {Z}one. {D}uring the {F}rench most severe lockdown period ({M}arch - {M}ay 2020), we observed that ship frequentation remained at the same level from {M}arch to {J}uly 2020, instead of rising towards the summer peak like in previous years. {T}hen, ship frequentation increased rapidly to a normal level in {A}ugust 2020 when restrictions were lifted. {B}y comparing morning and evening (7:00 am and 7:00 pm) ship frequentation during this period to pre-{C}ovid years, we observed contrasting patterns. {O}n the one hand, morning detections were particularly high, while on the other hand evening detections were significantly lower and less concentrated in coastal touristic waters than in previous years. {O}verall, we found a 9% decrease in ship frequentation between the year 2020 and the 2017-2019 period, with a maximum of 43% drop in {J}une 2020 due to the lockdown. {S}o, the {C}ovid -19 crisis induced only a very short-term reduction in maritime activities but did not markedly reduce the annual ship frequentation in the {F}rench {M}editerranean waters. {T}he satellite imagery approach is an alternative method that improves our understanding of the pandemic impacts at an unprecedented spatiotemporal scale and resolution.},
  keywords = {{C}ovid-19 ; lockdown ; fisheries ; synthetic aperture radar ; ship detection ; {F}rench {M}editerranean ; {MEDITERRANEE} ; {FRANCE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{F}rontiers in {M}arine {S}cience},
  volume = {9},
  numero = {},
  pages = {845419 [11 ]},
  year = {2022},
  DOI = {10.3389/fmars.2022.845419},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010085188},
}