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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Climate-driven global redistribution of an ocean giant predicts increased threat from shipping
Nature climate change, Vol.14(12), pp.1282-1291
2024
Abstract
Climate change is shifting animal distributions. However, the extent to which future global habitats of threatened marine megafauna will overlap existing human threats remains unresolved. Here we use global climate models and habitat suitability estimated from long-term satellite-tracking data of the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, to show that redistributions of present-day habitats are projected to increase the species’ co-occurrence with global shipping. Our model projects core habitat area losses of >50% within some national waters by 2100, with geographic shifts of over 1,000 km (∼12 km yr −1 ). Greater habitat suitability is predicted in current range-edge areas, increasing the co-occurrence of sharks with large ships. This future increase was ∼15,000 times greater under high emissions compared with a sustainable development scenario. Results demonstrate that climate-induced global species redistributions that increase exposure to direct sources of mortality are possible, emphasizing the need for quantitative climate-threat predictions in conservation assessments of endangered marine megafauna.
Details
- Title
- Climate-driven global redistribution of an ocean giant predicts increased threat from shipping
- Authors/Creators
- Freya C. Womersley - National Oceanography CentreLara L. SousaNicolas E. Humphries - Marine Biological Association of the United KingdomKátya AbrantesGonzalo Araujo - Qatar UniversitySteffen S. BachAdam Barnett - James Cook UniversityMichael L. Berumen - King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologySandra Bessudo LionCamrin D. Braun - Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionElizabeth ClinghamJesse E. M. Cochran - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteRafael de la Parra - King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyStella DiamantAlistair D. M. DoveCarlos M. Duarte - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceChristine L. Dudgeon - NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science CenterMark V. Erdmann - University of AucklandEduardo EspinozaLuciana C. Ferreira - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceRichard FitzpatrickJaime González CanoJonathan R. GreenHector M. Guzman - Universidad San Francisco de QuitoRoyale Hardenstine - Marine Research CentreAbdi Hasan - State University of PapuaFábio H. V. HazinAlex R. HearnRobert E. Hueter - Mote Marine LaboratoryMohammed Y. JaidahJessica LabajaFelipe LadinoBruno C. L. Macena - HortaMark G. Meekan - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceJohn J. MorrisBradley M. Norman - Murdoch UniversityCesar R. Peñaherrera-PalmaSimon J. PierceLina Maria QuinteroDení Ramírez-MacíasSamantha D. ReynoldsDavid P. RobinsonChristoph A. Rohner - Marine Megafauna FoundationDavid R. L. RowatAna M. M. SequeiraMarcus SheavesMahmood S. ShivjiAbraham B. Sianipar - Murdoch UniversityGregory B. SkomalGerman SolerIsmail SyakurachmanSimon R. ThorroldMichele Thums - The University of Western AustraliaJohn P. TyminskiD. Harry WebbBradley M. WetherbeeNuno Queiroz - Universidade do PortoDavid W. Sims - University of Southampton
- Publication Details
- Nature climate change, Vol.14(12), pp.1282-1291
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 30
- Grant note
- UK Natural Environment Research Council through a University of Southampton INSPIRE DTP Studentship: NE/S007210/1 UK Natural Environment Research Council Discovery Science Grant: NE/R00997/X/1 European Research Council within the EU Horizon Programme: 883583 Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia: PTDC/BMA/3536/2021, CEECIND/02857/2018 EU Horizon Programme: 857251
We thank R. R. Reisinger for modelling advice and Global Fishing Watch for provision of shipping data (https://www.globalfishingwatch.org). Funding to support the data analysis was provided by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through a University of Southampton INSPIRE DTP Studentship (no. NE/S007210/1) to F.C.W., a UK Natural Environment Research Council Discovery Science Grant to D.W.S. (no. NE/R00997/X/1) and a European Research Council Advanced Grant (no. 883583 OCEAN DEOXYFISH) to D.W.S. within the EU Horizon 2020 Programme. Additional funding support was provided by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (nos. PTDC/BMA/3536/2021 and CEECIND/02857/2018) and the EU Horizon 2020 Programme (no. 857251 to N.Q.) D.W.S. was supported by a Marine Biological Association Senior Research Fellowship. Acknowledgement of the funding sources supporting whale shark tagging and other contributions is given in full in the Supplementary Information. This research was conducted as part of the Global Shark Movement Project (www.globalsharkmovement.org).
- Identifiers
- 991005707254507891
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2024
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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