Vessel Strike
D3. Marine environmental science, pollution and conservationDefinition
Collision between a ship and marine animal, usually a large whale.
A vessel strike is a collision between a ship and a marine animal, usually a large whale, a leading human cause of death for endangered populations such as the North Atlantic right whale (fewer than 400 individuals remain). Strike risk rises with ship speed, so mitigation centers on mandatory or voluntary speed limits, seasonal management areas, and rerouting shipping lanes away from feeding and migration corridors.