Journal article
Identifying priority sites for whale shark ship collision management globally
Science of the Total Environment, Vol.934, pp.1-14
2024
PMID: 38697520
Abstract
The expansion of the world's merchant fleet poses a great threat to the ocean's biodiversity. Collisions between ships and marine megafauna can have population-level consequences for vulnerable species. The Endangered whale shark (Rhincodon typus) shares a circumglobal distribution with this expanding fleet and tracking of movement pathways has shown that large vessel collisions pose a major threat to the species. However, it is not yet known whether they are also at risk within aggregation sites, where up to 400 individuals can gather to feed on seasonal bursts of planktonic productivity. These “constellation” sites are of significant ecological, socio-economic and cultural value. Here, through expert elicitation, we gathered information from most known constellation sites for this species across the world (>50 constellations and >13,000 individual whale sharks). We defined the spatial boundaries of these sites and their overlap with shipping traffic. Sites were then ranked based on relative levels of potential collision danger posed to whale sharks in the area. Our results showed that researchers and resource managers may underestimate the threat posed by large ship collisions due to a lack of direct evidence, such as injuries or witness accounts, which are available for other, sub-lethal threat categories. We found that constellations in the Arabian Sea and adjacent waters, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California, and Southeast and East Asia, had the greatest level of collision threat. We also identified 39 sites where peaks in shipping activity coincided with peak seasonal occurrences of whale sharks, sometimes across several months. Simulated collision mitigation options estimated potentially minimal impact to industry, as most whale shark core habitat areas were small. Given the threat posed by vessel collisions, a coordinated, multi-national approach to mitigation is needed within priority whale shark habitats to ensure collision protection for the species.
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•The marine biosphere is at risk from expanding maritime human activities.•Collisions between large ships and marine megafauna are in need of management attention.•Shipping was measured in over 50 global whale shark aggregation sites.•Peaks in shipping activity often coincided with peak seasonal occurrences of whale sharks.•Changes to ship speed or transiting routes can be targeted in small, localised zones.
Details
- Title
- Identifying priority sites for whale shark ship collision management globally
- Authors
- Freya C. Womersley (Corresponding Author) - Marine Biological Association of the United KingdomChristoph A. Rohner - Marine Megafauna FoundationKátya Abrantes - Biopixel Oceans FoundationPedro Afonso - Universidade dos AçoresShin Arunrugstichai - Thai Marine Ecology CentreSteffen S. Bach - Qatar Whale Shark ResearchShir Bar - Sharks in IsraelAdi Barash - Sharks in IsraelPeter Barnes - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsAdam Barnett - Biopixel Oceans FoundationGinevra Boldrocchi - University of InsubriaNoemie Buffat - New Heaven Reef Conservation ProgramTom Canon - Protect What You LoveClara Canovas Perez - Maldives Whale Shark ResearchMetavee Chuangcharoendee - Department of Marine and Coastal ResourcesJesse E.M. Cochran - King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyRafael de la Parra - Ch'ooj Ajauil ACStella Diamant - Madagascar Whale Shark ProjectWilliam Driggers - NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science CenterChristine L. Dudgeon - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringMark V. Erdmann - Conservation InternationalRichard Fitzpatrick - Biopixel Oceans FoundationAnna Flam - Marine Megafauna FoundationJorge Fontes - Universidade dos AçoresGemma Francis - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsBeatriz Eugenia Galvan - Ch'ooj Ajauil ACRachel T. Graham - City of KnowledgeSofia M. Green - Galápagos Whale Shark ProjectJonathan R. Green - Galápagos Whale Shark ProjectYa'ara Grosmark - Sharks in IsraelHector M. Guzman - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteRoyale S. Hardenstine - King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyMaria Harvey - Hawai'i Uncharted Research CollectiveJessica Harvey-Carroll - University of GothenburgAbdi Wunanto Hasan - Konservasi IndonesiaAlex R. Hearn - Galapagos Science CentreJill M. Hendon - University of Southern MississippiMochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra - Konservasi IndonesiaMahardika Rizqi Himawan - University of MataramEric Hoffmayer - NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science CenterJason Holmberg - Wild MeHua Hsun Hsu - Council of AgricultureMohammed Y. Jaidah - Qatar Whale Shark ResearchAshlee Jansen - Ash Karas PhotographyChristy Judd - University of ExeterBaraka Kuguru - Tanzania Fisheries Research InstituteEmily Lester - University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaBruno C.L. Macena - Universidade dos AçoresKirsty Magson - Thai Whale SharksRossana Maguiño - ecOceánicaMabel Manjaji-Matsumoto - Universiti of Malaysia SabahStacia D. Marcoux - Hawai'i Uncharted Research CollectiveTravis Marcoux - Hawai'i Uncharted Research Collective, USAJennifer McKinney - University of Southern MississippiMark Meekan - University of Western AustraliaAlejandra Mendoza - ecOceánicaMuhammad Moazzam - World Wildlife Fund (Pakistan)Emily Monacella - New Heaven Reef Conservation ProgramBrad Norman - ECOCEAN Inc. (Australia)Cameron Perry - Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, MaldivesSimon Pierce - Marine Megafauna FoundationClare Prebble - Marine Megafauna FoundationDení Ramírez Macías - Whale Shark Mexico, La Paz, BCS, MexicoHolly Raudino - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, WA Government, AustraliaSamantha Reynolds - ECOCEAN Inc. (Australia)David Robinson - Qatar Whale Shark ResearchDavid Rowat - Marine Conservation Society SeychellesMudjekeewis D. Santos - National Fisheries Research and Development InstituteJennifer Schmidt - Shark Research InstituteChad Scott - Conservation DiverSian Tian See - Universiti of Malaysia SabahAbraham Sianipar - Murdoch UniversityConrad W. Speed - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIsmail Syakurachman - Konservasi IndonesiaJulian A. Tyne - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKelly Waples - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsChloe Winn - Maldives Whale Shark ResearchRanny R. Yuneni - WWF-IndonesiaIrthisham Zareer - Maldives Whale Shark ResearchGonzalo Araujo - Qatar University
- Publication details
- Science of the Total Environment, Vol.934, pp.1-14
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172776
- ISSN
- 1879-1026
- PMID
- 38697520
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Data will be made available on request to the corresponding author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991036485402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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