Widespread exposure of marine parks, whales, and whale sharks to shipping

Vincent Raoult; Vanessa Pirotta; Troy F. Gaston; Brad Norman; Samantha Reynolds; Tim M. Smith; Mike Double; Jason How; Matt W. Hayward

doi:10.1071/MF22050

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Widespread exposure of marine parks, whales, and whale sharks to shipping

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Widespread exposure of marine parks, whales, and whale sharks to shipping

Vincent Raoult, Vanessa Pirotta, Troy F. Gaston, Brad Norman, Samantha Reynolds, Tim M. Smith, Mike Double, Jason How and Matt W. Hayward

Marine and freshwater research, Vol.74(1), pp.75-85

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/MF22050

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Abstract

: acoustic pollution

AIS

marine parks

satellite tag

shark

ship strikes

Shipping

whale

Context. Shipping impacts are a major environmental concern that can affect the behaviour and health of marine mammals and fishes. The potential impacts of shipping within marine parks is rarely considered during the planning process. Aims. We assessed the areal disturbance footprint of shipping around Australia, its overlap with marine parks, and known locations of megafauna, so as to identify areas of concern that warrant further investigation. Methods. Automatic Identification System (AIS) shipping data from 2018 to 2021 were interpreted through a kernel-density distribution and compared with satellite data from & SIM;200 individuals of megafauna amalgamated from 2003 to 2018, and the locations of marine parks. Key results. Over 18% of marine parks had shipping exposure in excess of 365 vessels per year. Around all of Australia, 39% of satellite-tag reports from whale shark and 36.7% of pygmy blue and humpback whale satellite-tag reports were in moderate shipping-exposure areas (> 90 ships per year). Shipping exposure significantly increased from 2018 despite the pandemic, including within marine parks. Conclusions. These results highlight the wide-scale footprint of commercial shipping on marine ecosystems that may be increasing in intensity over time.

Details

Title: Widespread exposure of marine parks, whales, and whale sharks to shipping
Authors/Creators: Vincent Raoult - Hunter Water
Vanessa Pirotta - Macquarie University
Troy F. Gaston - Hunter Water
Brad Norman - Murdoch University
Samantha Reynolds - Reef Ecologic
Tim M. Smith - Hunter Water
Mike Double - Australian Antarctic Division
Jason How - Dept Primary Ind & Reg Dev, Perth, WA, Australia
Matt W. Hayward - University of Newcastle Australia
Publication Details: Marine and freshwater research, Vol.74(1), pp.75-85
Publisher: Csiro Publishing
Number of pages: 11
Identifiers: 991005578601607891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology; 3.35.796 Marine Mammal Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Fisheries; Limnology; Marine & Freshwater Biology; Oceanography
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science