NESP MB Project A2 – Quantification of national ship strike risk

Research Project

Researchers: Peel, David (Principal investigator) ,  Peel, David (Principal investigator) ,  Peel, David, Dr (Principal investigator) ,  Peel, David, Dr (Principal investigator) ,  Emma Flukes (Point of contact)
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Brief description This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project A2 - "Quantification of national ship strike risk". This project has been superseded by NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub Project C5 - "Quantification of risk from shipping to large marine fauna across Australia" (see link in Distribution and On-Line Resources section of this record). -------------------- Given Australian coastal development, and associated increases in shipping, ship collisions with marine fauna (specifically marine mammals and turtles) is of increasing concern. Tools and research are needed to spatially quantify the risk of ship strike to help develop management strategies. This work will use shipping density/speed data from the recent past, in parallel with species distribution/habitat models, to produce relative risk maps that can be used to identify areas and times where there is co-occurrence of at-risk marine fauna and shipping. From these maps, strategies (such as speed reduction zones/times) could be implemented to minimise the impact of vessel strike on marine fauna. Planned Outputs • Initial scoping report of ship strike risk, summarising what is currently known on at-risk species, the data available, shipping size/type data needed and providing recommendations on what species to investigate ranked from easiest to most difficult; • Identification of data deficiencies; • Full Australia-wide fine-scale shipping density and average speed maps for 2012 – present; • A suite of distribution information/maps for the various species investigated; • Risk map for selected species. With individual species, results delivered during the life of the project. The risk maps will range from full fine-scale maps when data is present, to coarse-scale ‘regions of concern’ for species where distribution data is limited to approximate extent.

Lineage Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded

Notes Credit
David Peel (CSIRO), Natalie Kelly (CSIRO), Josh Smith (Murdoch University), Jessica Redfern (NOAA), TJ Moore (NOAA)

Notes Credit
National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub

Notes Credit
Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Government

Notes Credit
In addition to NESP (DoE) funding, this project is matched by an equivalent amount of in-kind support and co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Notes Purpose
This project will provide estimates of relative—and, where possible, absolute—risk of ship strike through space and time, based on shipping density/speed and species distribution/habitat models. These estimates of risk can be used to identify areas and times (throughout the year, and possibly diurnal) where there is co-occurrence of at-risk marine fauna and shipping. Taking individual vessel speeds into account, this further provides an indication of where fatal interaction is most likely to occur. From these maps, strategies (such as speed reduction zones/times) could be implemented to minimise the impact of vessel strike on marine fauna.

Data time period: 2015-07-01 to 2015-12-31

155.91797,-10.34742 155.91797,-44.80054 110.74219,-44.80054 110.74219,-10.34742 155.91797,-10.34742

133.330078125,-27.573980775455

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