In the ocean, "steps" are scattered around, and sharks use them to navigate. What is this all about?

The ocean covers a vast portion of the planet's surface and is home to an incredible number of species, including whale sharks. Members of this species are attracted to natural underwater features, such as underwater mountains and canyons, as well as artificial structures like offshore oil and gas platforms, reports PHYS.org.

A new study conducted by scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Western Australia has shown that these natural and artificial structures serve as migratory "steps" for whale sharks and are utilized by them for feeding. According to the research, these structures also enhance the availability of prey.

According to lead author Ben D'Antonio, he and his colleagues analyzed satellite tracking data for 78 whale sharks tagged over a 14-year period at Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay off the coast of Western Australia.

During their analysis, the researchers created a map of the movements of whale sharks in the eastern Indian Ocean and the northwestern shelf. The latter, in particular, contains a number of oil and gas platforms and associated infrastructure.

It is known that whale sharks migrate over vast distances, and we now understand that they use underwater peaks and marine mountains as springboards on these journeys. The study's authors concluded that these underwater "steps" attract the attention of the animals, as the currents flowing around these structures help sharks increase the availability of food, such as plankton.

According to D'Antonio, sharks utilize both artificial and natural structures. Interestingly, underwater mountains and peaks can cover enormous areas of up to tens of kilometers in diameter, while oil and gas platforms are relatively small; however, the researchers found that they provide a similar level of prey availability. For instance, there is evidence that plankton is attracted to the artificial lighting on the platforms.

The authors of the study believe that their findings may have implications for the decommissioning of oil and gas platforms. It is suggested that the dismantling of these artificial structures in the ocean could disrupt migratory pathways connecting important habitats for whale sharks.

It is still necessary to understand the details of the relationships between whale sharks and individual oil and gas platforms, such as how often and how long they visit them. The team also believes that there are risks associated with oil and gas platforms in the ocean: statistics indicate that in the regions where they are located, the risk of collisions with servicing vessels increases. Another threat comes from the impact of pollutants from discharges and spills.

Unfortunately, there are records of fatal interactions between whale sharks and vessels, and a significant portion of the whale shark population at Ningaloo Reef bears scars attributed to collisions with boats.