Group items tagged

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 al

Introduction: Copepods present the largest and most diverse group of zooplankton and their feeding behavior can affect top-down and bottom-up processes. Thus, how efficient feeding is executed determines the abundance of copepods' prey and their predators and, with that, carbon transfer and storage in ecosystems. The rise of anthropogenic underwater noise from shipping, oil exploration and exploitation, wind farm construction and operation, and more, is increasingly changing the marine acoustic environment. This acoustic pollution can have detrimental effects on biological life. Studies on this topic increasingly indicate that anthropogenic underwater noise adversely affects primary producers, marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates. However, little data exist on the effects of anthropogenic underwater noise on the feeding behavior of zooplankton

- Scientists confirm whales commonly feeding in nearshore waters - Study provides baseline information on some 'hotspots' for multiple species feeding aggregations - Data can be used to help protect whales from ship strikes and other impacts from human activities

Anthropogenic noise is a pervasive feature of the coastal ocean soundscape and is intensifying as vessel traffic activity increases. Low-frequency sounds from wave action on coastal reefs or anthropogenic noise have been shown to initiate larval settlement of marine invertebrates and accelerate metamorphosis to juvenile stages. These results suggest that some planktonic species can perceive and be impacted by anthropogenic sound. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that vessel noise has an impact on the feeding behavior of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) veligers and of the copepod Eurytemora herdmani as well as on the growth of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. The results show that microalgae and feeding behavior of early life stages of mussels and copepods are not influenced by the presence of vessel noise. The growth of the rotifers was similar between the two sound treatments, but rotifers' egg production in the absence of vessel noise was higher and eggs were also larger. Our results suggest that the effects of noise on plankton are complex; much more work is needed to unravel these often subtle effects.

Research shows nearby boats interrupt feeding of imperiled whales.

Overlap between marine megafauna and maritime activities is a topic of global concern. Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus; CM) are listed as Globally Endangered under the IUCN, though reported sightings appear to be increasing in Ireland. While such trends in the region are welcome, increasing spatiotemporal overlap between CM and numerous water users poses an increased risk of boat strikes to the animals. To demonstrate the risk and impact of boat strikes on marine megafauna, we present camera-enabled animal-borne inertial measurement unit (IMU) data from a non-lethal boat strike on a CM within a proposed National Marine Park in Ireland. We tagged a ~7-m female CM in County Kerry, Ireland, which was struck by a boat ~6 h after tag deployment. Comparison of pre-strike data with 4 h of video and ~7.5 h of IMU data following the boat strike provides critical insight into the animal's response. While the CM reacted momentarily with an increase in activity and swam to the seafloor, it quickly reduced its overall activity (i.e., overall dynamic body acceleration, tailbeat cycles, tailbeat amplitude, and vertical velocity) for the remainder of the deployment. Notably, the animal also ceased feeding for the duration of the video and headed towards deep offshore waters, which is in stark contrast to the pre-strike period where the animal was consistently observed feeding along the surface in shallow coastal water. This work provides insight into a CM's response to acute injury and highlights the need for appropriate protections to mitigate risks for marine megafauna.

After analyzing five years of blue whale calls, researchers at MBARI, Stanford University, and several other institutions discovered that the time of day that the whales sing changes dramatically depending on whether the whales are feeding or migrating. This discovery will give scientists new insights into the lives of these endangered giants of the sea and might eventually be used to help protect them from human threats such as ship strikes.

The hottest commodity in the saga of migrants risking death to reach European shores: decrepit wooden fishing boats. And Italy is asking the United States to supply drones that can identify them before they're packed with refugees and sent across the Mediterranean.

The hottest commodity in the saga of migrants risking death to reach European shores: decrepit wooden fishing boats. And Italy is asking the United States to supply drones that can identify them before they're packed with refugees and sent across the Mediterranean.

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Hundreds of migrants turned away by Italyarrive in Spain.

We examine the dive and movement behavior of blue, fin, and humpback whales along the US West Coast in regions with high ship traffic where ship strikes have been identified as a major concern. All three species are known to feed in coastal waters near areas of high ship traffic. We analyzed data from 33 archival tag deployments representing over 3,000 h of data that were attached with suction-cups or short darts for periods >20 h and recorded depth (≥ 1 Hz), fast-lock GPS positions and other sensors. There were clear differences among the three species but all showed a distinct diurnal difference in diving behavior. While dive depth varied among animals based on where prey was located, whales spent a high proportion of their time closer to the surface where they would be more vulnerable to ship strikes at night than in the day. This was most pronounced for blue whales where vulnerability was twice as high at night compared to the day. We also found differences in movement patterns of whales between day and night. Movements were more localized to specific areas in the day near prey resources while at night these movements often involved directional movements (though sometimes returning to the same area). We show how in several specific areas like the Santa Barbara Channel, these differences in movements and locations translate to a very different overlap with shipping lanes at night compared to the daytime locations, which is the basis for most sighting data.

NOAA scientists studying sounds made by Atlantic cod and haddock at spawning sites in the Gulf of Maine have found that vessel traffic noise is reducing the distance over which these animals can communicate with each other. As a result, daily behavior, feeding, mating, and socializing during critical biological periods for these commercially and ecologically important fish may be altered, according to a study published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Oceans are indispensable to our survival. Covering nearly 70 per cent of the planet, oceans feed us, provide us with jobs, and serve as the engine for much of the economy. But their vastness provides an opportunity for transnational organized crime to operate. As noted by Ghada WALY, "All countries, coastal and landlocked, rely on the security of the world's oceans." Ensuring maritime security is key to advancing sustainable development. Ahead of World Maritime Day on 28 September - and nearly two years after the opening of the first Port Control Unit (PCU) in Namibia, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - UNODC met one of the people on the frontlines of maritime law enforcement in Namibia, Officer Fransiskus NEGUMBO. Fransiskus is a Detective Warrant Officer with the Commercial Crime Unit, currently seconded to the Container Control Program in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Researchers have found that heavily used shipping lanes pass through crucial whale shark feeding grounds, posing a threat to this endangered species.