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Global warming could increase the threat posed to whale sharks from large ships, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change, titled "Climate-driven global redistribution of an ocean giant predicts increased threat from shipping."

Researchers from the University of Southampton and Marine Biological Association (MBA) predict that increased ocean temperatures will see this already endangered species driven into new habitats crossed by busy shipping lanes.

The study predicts that the co-occurrence of whale sharks and large ships could be 15,000 times higher by the end of the century compared to the present day.

Lead author Dr. Freya Womersley, University of Southampton and MBA Postdoctoral Research Scientist said, "These shifts in the whale sharks' habitat were most extreme under high emission scenarios. A global reshuffling could lead to core habitat losses in some areas as well as increased co-occurrence with shipping traffic as oceans warm and other variables change."

Whale sharks, the world's largest fish, are highly mobile and responsive to changes in temperature. Recent evidence suggests they are also particularly vulnerable to ship strikes—where large marine animals are struck and injured, often fatally, by large vessels in the global fleet.

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