Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea
Ship strikes are a widespread conservation issue for many cetacean species globally. Population level impacts depend on the occurrence and severity of collisions, which may lead to life altering injuries or fatalities. Such impacts are a major concern for large, long-lived, and reproductively slow s...
Published in: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2117/389965 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 |
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ftupcatalunyair:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/389965 2024-09-15T17:57:22+00:00 Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea Tort Castro, Beatriu Prieto González, Rocío O'Callaghan, Seán A. Dominguez Rein-Loring, Paula Degollada Bastos, Eduard Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciències del Mar east=1.9049854817041645; north=41.25242944525391; name=Avinguda Josep Llorach, 77, 08871 Garraf, Barcelona, Espanya 2022-04-27 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/2117/389965 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 eng eng Frontiers Media https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287/full Tort, B. [et al.]. Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea. "Frontiers in marine science", 27 Abril 2022, vol. 9, núm. Article 867287. 2296-7745 http://hdl.handle.net/2117/389965 doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Nàutica::Seguretat marítima::Accidents marítims Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Oceanografia Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria agroalimentària::Ciències de la terra i de la vida::Biologia Abordatge Accidents Ships--Safety regulations Whales Cetacea Collisions at sea Fin whale Ship strike Collision Marine traffic Injury Feeding Catalonia Mediterranean sea Vaixells--Accidents Balenes Cetacis Article 2022 ftupcatalunyair https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 2024-07-25T10:50:53Z Ship strikes are a widespread conservation issue for many cetacean species globally. Population level impacts depend on the occurrence and severity of collisions, which may lead to life altering injuries or fatalities. Such impacts are a major concern for large, long-lived, and reproductively slow species like the fin whale. Since 2014, a seasonal feeding aggregation of fin whales has been monitored from February to June off the Catalan coast (Spain), in the northwest Mediterranean Sea. Oceanographical factors influence the occurrence and high density of krill within submarine canyons along the continental shelf, resulting in high whale abundance within a small spatial area. The study area extends 37 km offshore across a 1,944 km2 marine strip situated between the towns of Torredembarra and Castelldefels. This fin whale feeding ground is exposed to high density marine vessel traffic, given its location between the northern Mediterranean shipping lane, which links Barcelona and Tarragona Ports to the Atlantic Ocean and wider Mediterranean Basin. Ship strikes represent the greatest conservation threat for fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea. At least four fin whales have been found dead in Barcelona Port since 1986 due to ship strikes and seven live whales have been documented with injuries in the study area since 2018. Fin whale distribution was mapped with known high-risk marine vessels’ (cargo, tanker and passenger vessels) shipping lanes. Vessel density and shipping lanes characterised by speed were considered. Collision risk was estimated monthly based on the predicted fin whale occurrence and traffic density. Several shipping lanes crossed the fin whale feeding habitat every month with an average speed of 15 kn. Cargo vessels displayed the highest ship-strike risk during April, overlapping with the peak of fin whale sightings in the critical feeding area. Slower vessel speeds (8 kn) in waters <200 m depth or along the continental shelf should be implemented along the Catalan coast, during the whale ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech: UPCommons - Global access to UPC knowledge Frontiers in Marine Science 9 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech: UPCommons - Global access to UPC knowledge |
op_collection_id |
ftupcatalunyair |
language |
English |
topic |
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Nàutica::Seguretat marítima::Accidents marítims Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Oceanografia Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria agroalimentària::Ciències de la terra i de la vida::Biologia Abordatge Accidents Ships--Safety regulations Whales Cetacea Collisions at sea Fin whale Ship strike Collision Marine traffic Injury Feeding Catalonia Mediterranean sea Vaixells--Accidents Balenes Cetacis |
spellingShingle |
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Nàutica::Seguretat marítima::Accidents marítims Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Oceanografia Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria agroalimentària::Ciències de la terra i de la vida::Biologia Abordatge Accidents Ships--Safety regulations Whales Cetacea Collisions at sea Fin whale Ship strike Collision Marine traffic Injury Feeding Catalonia Mediterranean sea Vaixells--Accidents Balenes Cetacis Tort Castro, Beatriu Prieto González, Rocío O'Callaghan, Seán A. Dominguez Rein-Loring, Paula Degollada Bastos, Eduard Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
topic_facet |
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Nàutica::Seguretat marítima::Accidents marítims Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Oceanografia Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria agroalimentària::Ciències de la terra i de la vida::Biologia Abordatge Accidents Ships--Safety regulations Whales Cetacea Collisions at sea Fin whale Ship strike Collision Marine traffic Injury Feeding Catalonia Mediterranean sea Vaixells--Accidents Balenes Cetacis |
description |
Ship strikes are a widespread conservation issue for many cetacean species globally. Population level impacts depend on the occurrence and severity of collisions, which may lead to life altering injuries or fatalities. Such impacts are a major concern for large, long-lived, and reproductively slow species like the fin whale. Since 2014, a seasonal feeding aggregation of fin whales has been monitored from February to June off the Catalan coast (Spain), in the northwest Mediterranean Sea. Oceanographical factors influence the occurrence and high density of krill within submarine canyons along the continental shelf, resulting in high whale abundance within a small spatial area. The study area extends 37 km offshore across a 1,944 km2 marine strip situated between the towns of Torredembarra and Castelldefels. This fin whale feeding ground is exposed to high density marine vessel traffic, given its location between the northern Mediterranean shipping lane, which links Barcelona and Tarragona Ports to the Atlantic Ocean and wider Mediterranean Basin. Ship strikes represent the greatest conservation threat for fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea. At least four fin whales have been found dead in Barcelona Port since 1986 due to ship strikes and seven live whales have been documented with injuries in the study area since 2018. Fin whale distribution was mapped with known high-risk marine vessels’ (cargo, tanker and passenger vessels) shipping lanes. Vessel density and shipping lanes characterised by speed were considered. Collision risk was estimated monthly based on the predicted fin whale occurrence and traffic density. Several shipping lanes crossed the fin whale feeding habitat every month with an average speed of 15 kn. Cargo vessels displayed the highest ship-strike risk during April, overlapping with the peak of fin whale sightings in the critical feeding area. Slower vessel speeds (8 kn) in waters <200 m depth or along the continental shelf should be implemented along the Catalan coast, during the whale ... |
author2 |
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciències del Mar |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tort Castro, Beatriu Prieto González, Rocío O'Callaghan, Seán A. Dominguez Rein-Loring, Paula Degollada Bastos, Eduard |
author_facet |
Tort Castro, Beatriu Prieto González, Rocío O'Callaghan, Seán A. Dominguez Rein-Loring, Paula Degollada Bastos, Eduard |
author_sort |
Tort Castro, Beatriu |
title |
Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
title_short |
Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
title_full |
Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
title_fullStr |
Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea |
title_sort |
ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the garraf coast, northwest mediterranean sea |
publisher |
Frontiers Media |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2117/389965 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 |
op_coverage |
east=1.9049854817041645; north=41.25242944525391; name=Avinguda Josep Llorach, 77, 08871 Garraf, Barcelona, Espanya |
genre |
Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287/full Tort, B. [et al.]. Ship strike risk for fin whales (balaenoptera physalus) off the Garraf coast, northwest Mediterranean Sea. "Frontiers in marine science", 27 Abril 2022, vol. 9, núm. Article 867287. 2296-7745 http://hdl.handle.net/2117/389965 doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 |
op_rights |
Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867287 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
9 |
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1810433520472948736 |