Ships Could Avoid Killing The Endangered Whale Sharks For Just 1% More Fuel, Study Finds
Rerouting ships to avoid whale sharks uses less than 1% extra fuel, showing how shipping can protect endangered marine life with little added cost.
Redirecting shipping traffic to avoid collisions with whale sharks has very little impact on fuel use, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.
Experts found that rerouting container ships and oil tankers around whale shark hotspots used at most just one per cent more fuel on longer voyages.
For shorter crossings, it was more fuel efficient to restrict vessels’ speed when passing through the critically endangered ocean giants’ gathering sites.
By demonstrating how biodiversity data can be incorporated into the navigation software shipping companies already use, the researchers hope to show that global shipping can support conservation efforts without significantly increasing costs.
This story was originally published by Marine Insight. Read the full story at Marine Insight →
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