| Considering the vastness of the ocean, it
may be surprising to know that collisions between whales
and ships are not unheard of. In fact for some species,
such as the North Atlantic Right Whale, the potential damage
on the relatively small stock is so serious that researchers
and policy-makers have gone to great lengths to understand
and rectify the problem.
MARIS has
been used to examine the density of
shipping traffic
in specific areas which are known to intersect with whale
travel routes. Vessels can be grouped to examine the implications
of size and/or speed. Seasonal or monthly patterns can
be considered, partly because the traffic rates can fluctuate
significantly, but also because the whale migration patterns
vary throughout the year.
|
Whale Collision Avoidance
