A new study led by the University of Washington has for the first time quantified the risk for whale-ship collisions worldwide for four geographically widespread ocean giants that are threatened by shipping: blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales. Lead author on the paper is Dr. Anna Nisi, a UW postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels. Center scientist Dr. Briana Abrahms, a UW assistant professor of biology, is senior author on the paper. Additional UW co-authors are Dr. Trevor Branch, professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, and Dr. Sue Moore, a research scientist with the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels.

Collisions are the leading cause of death worldwide for large whale species. Yet global data on ship strikes of whales are hard to come by — impeding efforts to protect vulnerable species. A new study led by the University of Washington has for the first time quantified the risk for whale-ship collisions worldwide for four geographically widespread ocean giants that are threatened by shipping: blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales.

In a paper published online this morning in Science, the international team reports that global shipping traffic overlaps with about 92% of these whale species’ ranges. They found that only about 7% of areas at highest risk for whale-ship collisions have any measures in place to protect whales from this threat. These measures include speed reductions, both mandatory and voluntary, for ships crossing waters that overlap with whale migration or feeding areas. Yet, the researchers also show that adding management measures on just an additional 2.6% of the ocean’s surface would protect all of the highest-risk collision hotspots that they identified.

Read the full story in UW News.