Rerouting ships to avoid killing whale sharks has little cost, study finds

A University of Southampton-led study finds that ships can avoid whale shark hotspots with little added fuel use. Rerouting container ships and oil tankers on longer voyages increased fuel consumption by no more than 1%, while slowing down near gathering sites could be more efficient on shorter routes. Published in Royal Society Open Science, the research suggests shipping navigation can incorporate habitat data to reduce collisions with the endangered sharks without major disruption to trade.