Overview

• A new study predicts that by 2100, whale sharks could be 15,000 times more likely to encounter ships due to habitat shifts caused by global warming.
• Researchers used satellite tracking data and climate models to forecast whale shark movements under various climate scenarios.
• High emission scenarios could lead to significant core habitat losses for whale sharks, particularly in Asian waters.
• The study highlights the importance of mitigating climate change to lessen indirect impacts on marine species like whale sharks.
• Recommendations to protect whale sharks include slowing ship speeds, re-routing around key habitats, and implementing collision-reporting networks.