Review of Methods for Automatic Plastic Detection in Water Areas Using Satellite Images and Machine Learning

Aleksandr Danilov, Elizaveta Serdiukova

Ocean plastic pollution is one of the global environmental problems of our time. “Rubbish islands” formed in the ocean are increasing every year, damaging the marine ecosystem. In order to effectively address this type of pollution, it is necessary to accurately and quickly identify the sources of plastic entering the ocean, identify where it is accumulating, and track the dynamics of waste movement. To this end, remote sensing methods using satellite imagery and aerial photographs from unmanned aerial vehicles are a reliable source of data. Modern machine learning technologies make it possible to automate the detection of floating plastics. This review presents the main projects and research aimed at solving the “plastic” problem. The main data acquisition techniques and the most effective deep learning algorithms are described, various limitations of working with space images are analyzed, and ways to eliminate such shortcomings are proposed.