Whales Threatened by Ship Collissions

Global shipping is leaving marine organisms with increasingly less space to move freely. A new study now shows that ships operate in over 90 percent of the areas where whales reside. However, deadly collisions can be reduced. 

Today, around 90 percent of all trade goods are transported via the sea. Shipping traffic has quadrupled since the early 1990s and is expected to triple again by 2050. 

According to a new study published in the scientific journal Science, 92 percent of whale habitats overlap with shipping routes at sea. Many of the world’s busiest maritime areas are where whales feed, mate, and give birth. 

– Mitigating the negative impacts of marine shipping will be crucial in the coming decades, the study’s authors write. 

High-Risk Areas for Collisions Identified

To investigate how much of whale habitats are affected by shipping, the study’s authors collected data from approximately 435,000 locations and mapped 176,000 large ships. This allowed them to identify areas where collisions with blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales could occur. 

Protecting the Most Affected Areas

However, the study suggests that deadly collisions can be reduced. By protecting an additional 2.6 percent of the ocean, it would be possible to safeguard the areas with the highest collision risks. 

– Our results can provide a foundation for expanded management measures to protect these ocean giants, the study’s authors write.