Whale shark study finds collisions with large vessels may be factor in population decline
Share
A new study out of the United Kingdom is pointing to collisions with large marine vessels as a possible reason for the years-long decline in whale shark populations.
Marine biologists from the Marine Biological Association and University of Southampton led the study, started in 2019 and published earlier this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which tracked the movements of ships and whale sharks around the world.
The researchers said lethal collisions are vastly underestimated and that their work shows more than 90 per cent of whale shark movements overlapped with global fleets of cargo, tanker, passenger and fishing vessels.
The team satellite-tracked the movements of 348 individual whale sharks, tagged between 2005 and 2019 in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and mapped out their various "hotspots."
The researchers submitted the data to the Global Shark Movement Project, which is led by the Marine Biological Association.
"The maritime shipping industry that allows us to source a variety of everyday products from all over the world may be causing the decline of whale sharks, which are a hugely important species in our oceans," Freya Womersley, a University of Southampton PhD researcher who led the study as part of the Global Shark Movement Project, said in a press release.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species lists the whale shark as endangered.
Described as "slow-moving ocean giants," the researchers said whale sharks can grow up to 20 metres in length and help regulate plankton levels in the ocean by feeding on microscopic zooplankton.
The researchers said whale shark numbers have been falling in recent years in many locations. However, the reasons why are not entirely clear.
Since whale sharks spend a large amount of time in surface water and gather in coastal regions, experts thought collisions with ships could be causing "substantial" deaths.
The study suggests that whale shark tag transmissions ended more often in busy shipping lanes than expected, even after ruling out technical failure.
Of the 61 tracked tags that stopped transmitting on busy routes, more than 85 per cent were unrelated to random technical failure, the study said.
The researchers suggest this is likely due to whale sharks being struck and killed, and sinking to the ocean floor.
"Incredibly, some of the tags recording depth as well as location showed whale sharks moving into shipping lanes and then sinking slowly to the seafloor hundreds of metres below, which is the 'smoking gun' of a lethal ship strike," said Prof. David Sims, Global Shark Movement Project founder and senior research fellow at the Marine Biological Association and University of Southampton.
"It is sad to think that many deaths of these incredible animals have occurred globally due to ships without us even knowing to take preventative measures."
The research team said there are currently no international regulations to protect whale sharks against ship collisions, and that this "hidden mortality" may be occurring with other marine megafauna.
"Collectively we need to put time and energy into developing strategies to protect this endangered species from commercial shipping now, before it is too late," Womersley said, "so that the largest fish on Earth can withstand threats that are predicted to intensify in future, such as changing ocean climates."
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday.
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
What do you look for in a good bottle of hot sauce? Sweet or smokey flavours? Or, perhaps, you're a 'glutton for punishment' — the words of one person in attendance at Windsor's 2nd annual Heatseeker Hot Sauce Festival.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday.
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Past left-leaning presidents who enacted some of the most socially liberal policies on the continent have given way to a self-proclaimed "anarcho-capitalist" whose fiery appraisals of social justice and efforts to dismantle diversity and equity programs have made him into a global far-right icon.
The UN food agency estimated that unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have left more than 300 people dead and thousands of houses destroyed, most of them in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of the deluges Friday.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
The Ontario government says it will be supporting Ontario Power Generation's plan to refurbish the R. H. Saunders Generating Station on the St. Lawrence River.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
When it comes to gardening, a lot of questions come up, including the best way to keep pets away from plants, maintaining your lawn and keeping the dandelions at bay.
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4 for 5 with three RBIs, a run, and a stolen base as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied past the Minnesota Twins 10-8 on Saturday.
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
'Messi Mania' finally flocked north of the border this weekend, as Inter Miami CF erased a two-goal deficit to edge CF Montreal 3-2 in the Argentine superstar's professional debut in Canada.
Tesla will spend more than US$500 million to expand its fast-charging network, CEO Elon Musk said on Friday, days after abruptly laying off employees who were running the business.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Police in New Westminster say they have seized “numerous” weapons and kilograms of drugs as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in the city that began in 2022.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
'Messi Mania' finally flocked north of the border this weekend, as Inter Miami CF erased a two-goal deficit to edge CF Montreal 3-2 in the Argentine superstar's professional debut in Canada.
A personal experience has turned into one of Ottawa's biggest fund raisers to get the conversation going to remove the stigma of mental health in our community.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
'Messi Mania' finally flocked north of the border this weekend, as Inter Miami CF erased a two-goal deficit to edge CF Montreal 3-2 in the Argentine superstar's professional debut in Canada.
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
'Messi Mania' finally flocked north of the border this weekend, as Inter Miami CF erased a two-goal deficit to edge CF Montreal 3-2 in the Argentine superstar's professional debut in Canada.
Several community groups who work with the city’s vulnerable populations gathered downtown on Saturday for an event to celebrate the impact of their work on Winnipeg.
Some homes and cottages north of Flin Flon, Man. are under an evacuation order because of a growing wildfire caused by drought conditions and high winds.
The 8th annual Nagar Kirtan Parade packed the streets of Regina on Saturday, bringing the Regina Sikh community and people from surrounding areas together.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada’s top university football athletes gathered on the gridiron Saturday to show off their skills in the East-West Bowl at the University of Waterloo.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
It’s been an offensive clinic by the London Knights through the first two games of the OHL Championship Series. A 9-1 win over the Oshawa Generals Saturday night at Budweiser Gardens followed up an impressive 8-1 win Thursday as London has taken a 2-0 series lead.
Whether you’re going out to a special brunch, you’re visiting mom at her house for a casual visit or you plan to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, Windsor’s Mother’s Day weather forecast will be filled with sunshine.
What do you look for in a good bottle of hot sauce? Sweet or smokey flavours? Or, perhaps, you're a 'glutton for punishment' — the words of one person in attendance at Windsor's 2nd annual Heatseeker Hot Sauce Festival.
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
The city of Elliot Lake’s arena woes are turning out to be a costly problem. The latest report that will be going before council on Monday puts the quote for repairs at $4.3 million.
The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshall has concluded its report into a fire that caused millions in damages to a property along Charles Walk in Elliot Lake back last year.
City officials in Elliot Lake, Ont., confirm that repairs to the water line on Hillside Drive North have been completed and water has been restored to all homes – however, a boil water advisory remains in effect for the entire city.
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.