Innovative rapidly inflating balloon technology could keep damaged ships afloat. But more fine-tuning needs to be done and there are some concerns about reliability.

Two shipping firms based in Germany and Cyprus have pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice charges and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS, 33 U.S.C. §§1905-1915) related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from four ships that visited ports in New Jersey, Delaware and Northern California.