Climate change could increase the risk of whale sharks colliding with large ships, according to a University of Southampton study.

The authors predict that increased ocean temperatures will push this already endangered species into new habitats crossed by busy shipping lanes. Such a move could increase the chance of collisions by up to 15,000 times by the end of the century compared with the present day.

Lead author Dr Freya Womersley 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.

Researchers...