Decision-Making Tools for Large Vessel Collisions with Marine Megafauna Species: Research Gaps and Proposed Application

Marine traffic poses a significantly increasing threat to the marine environment, especially marine megafauna species, due to collisions between large vessels and marine organisms that most frequently result in mortality. The adoption of mitigation methods for collisions is critical to avoid population declines. Selecting the optimal mitigation method depends on a set of criteria and is best assessed using decision-making tools. The current study reviewed the use of decision-making tools for marine traffic applications and discusses the existing gap regarding environmental applications (especially considering the impact on marine biodiversity). Furthermore, the authors propose a method for estimating hotspots of marine traffic that may overlap with marine biodiversity foraging grounds, and the structure for a decision-making tool for mitigating collisions and conserving the marine environment.