Rerouting ships to avoid killing whale sharks has little cost, study finds

University of Southampton

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Whale shark surfacing with ships in the background

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Credit: Martine Biological Association

Redirecting shipping traffic to avoid collisions with whale sharks has very little impact on fuel use, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.

Experts found that rerouting container ships and oil tankers around whale shark hotspots used at most just one per cent more fuel on longer voyages.

For shorter crossings, it was more fuel efficient to restrict vessels’ speed when passing through the critically endangered ocean giants’ gathering sites.

By demonstrating how biodiversity data can be incorporated into the navigation software shipping companies already use, the researchers hope to show that global shipping can support conservation efforts without significantly increasing costs.

“Our research shows how incorporating species-specific habitat data into voyage planning could mitigate the risk of ship strikes with negligible disruption to global trade,” says Dr Ryan Reisinger, Associate Professor in Marine Biology and Ecology from the University of Southampton, who led the research.

 “We demonstrated this with whale sharks, but it could be applied to other large sea creatures at risk of ship strikes, such as whales and dolphins.”

The research is published today [11 November] in Royal Society Open Science.

Ship strikes have been recorded for at least 75 marine species, but the true scale of the problem is unclear as collisions can go undetected or unreported. That is especially true for creatures which sink when killed, like whale sharks. They spend almost half their time in surface waters, and their population has more than halved in 75 years.

“We know this issue is likely to get worse if we don’t act now due to climate change potentially driving whale sharks into new habitats crossed by busy shipping lanes and shipping trade expected to increase,” says co-author on the paper Dr Freya Womersley from the Marine Biological Association.

Professor David Sims, another co-author from the Marine Biological Association and University of Southampton, added: “We know that if mitigation measures impose significant economic costs, it’s unlikely they will be adopted voluntarily by the industry and, in addition, may slow progress in developing and implementing global policy to protect marine megafauna at risk from ship collisions.”

The team incorporated maps of known whale shark aggregation sites into the state-of-the-art voyage optimisation software widely used in commercial shipping.

They then simulated eight crossings originating in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Mexico, which had been identified as amongst the most dangerous crossings for whale sharks, to see the impact of rerouting or slowing ships on fuel use.

They found rerouting to avoid whale shark aggregation sites entirely used at most one percent extra fuel for journeys of more than six days. Rerouted voyages lasting more than 12 days used even less (a 0.5% increase).

For shorter voyages, where changes in distance have a larger proportion effect, a speed reduction was the more fuel-efficient approach, again limiting additional fuel costs to less than one percent for slower vessels.

Researchers say the concept could be scaled up with improved data, dynamic forecasting, regulatory and incentive frameworks, and further integration with existing technology.  

Dr Reisinger concluded: “By embedding biodiversity into voyage optimisation, the maritime sector can contribute meaningfully to global efforts to reduce ship strikes, safeguard at-risk species and maintain the resilience of ocean ecosystems, all while sustaining the efficient movement of goods on which the global economy depends.”

Ends

Contact

Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton, press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.

Notes for editors

1. Optimizing voyages for biodiversity: rerouting vessels around ocean giants can have minimal impact on shipping will be published in Royal Society Open Science at https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260855
2. Interviews available
3. Images available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IolyQ1Rq6uTHPWGacA6J8Yvpe1zz0dJ5?usp=sharing Credit Marine Biological Association.

Additional information

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 24,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 300,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk

www.southampton.ac.uk/news/contact-press-team.page

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Journal

Royal Society Open Science

DOI

10.1098/rsos.260855

Article Title

1) Optimizing voyages for biodiversity: rerouting vessels around ocean giants can have minimal impact on shipping

Article Publication Date

11-Nov-2026

COI Statement

A.J.S. is a non-executive board member of Theyr Ltd., and P.A.G. is employed by Theyr Ltd. R.R.R. is an editorial board member of Royal Society Open Science.

Satellite tagged whale shark

Surface feeding whale shark.

Large shipping container

Credit

Marine Biological Association

 

New study explains why we may feel the cold more as we age

Preclinical City of Hope research uncovers a surprising conversation among nerves, immune cells and heat-producing fat that could shed light on broader changes in metabolism

City of Hope

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Researchers from City of Hope have uncovered the biological reason for why we become more sensitive to cold as we get older. The study was published in Nature. Qiong "Annabel" Wang, Ph.D., is the corresponding author and an associate professor at City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute.

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Credit: Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute / City of Hope

LOS ANGELES — Researchers from City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the country, have uncovered the biological reason for why we become more sensitive to cold as we get older. 

Unlike white fat, which primarily stores energy, thermogenic fat is a special type of body fat that burns calories to produce heat and helps us stay warm. Thermogenic fat tends to become less active with age, which may explain why older people are more sensitive to cold. 

"Learning how the body controls this process may offer insights into obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders," said Qiong "Annabel" Wang, Ph.D., an associate professor at City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute and corresponding author of the new Nature study. 

Her research reveals how signals from nerves and immune cells control how much heat thermogenic fat produces by changing the balance between highly active and less active fat cells.  

Experiments in mice suggest that this system becomes less flexible with age, leaving thermogenic fat slower to respond when temperatures fall. 

Previously, City of Hope researchers found that thermogenic fat cells vary in how much heat they produce. Some have high levels of UCP1, a protein that generates heat, while others have less UCP1 and remain less active. In this study, City of Hope researchers observed a similar mix in human thermogenic fat samples, although they conducted most of our experiments in mice. 

How the Body Turns Up the Heat 

This mix of thermogenic fat cells may give the body a built-in way to adjust to changing temperatures. When more warmth is needed, signals from the nervous and immune systems prompt less-active cells to increase heat production. When the need passes, the system can dial that activity back. 

In older mice, however, this response became sluggish. Their thermogenic fat could still increase heat production, but it took longer. As a result, the animals had more difficulty maintaining their body temperature during cold exposure. 

The researchers were able to restore some heat production in older mice by blocking one part of the biological pathway behind this slowdown. The treated animals produced more heat and burned more energy.  

The drug used in the experiment, mifepristone, affects many parts of the body, so it is not a treatment for age-related cold sensitivity. But the results suggest that the decline in thermogenic fat activity could be reversed. 

"That possibility matters for more than staying warm," Qiong said. "Thermogenic fat also burns glucose and fat, and its activity tends to decline with age. If scientists can find a safe, precise way to restore that activity, this foundational research could eventually deepen our understanding of age-related metabolic problems, including obesity and type 2 diabetes." 

# # # 

The study “Bistable regulation of adipocyte heterogeneity governs thermogenesis” was supported by the City of Hope startup and salary-saving funds, the Caltech-City of Hope Biomedical Research Initiative Grant and the National Institutes of Health (P30CA033572). 

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

About City of Hope 
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, Orange County, California, campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-026-11308-7

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Bistable regulation of adipocyte heterogeneity governs thermogenesis

Article Publication Date

11-Nov-2026

 

Experts urge caution over drug company campaigns to destigmatize obesity

Destigmatizing obesity is the right thing to do, but commercial interests require careful scrutiny

BMJ Group

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We should be wary of campaigns by pharmaceutical companies to destigmatise obesity, say experts in The BMJ today.

Michael Viggars and colleagues argue that, while destigmatising obesity is the right thing to do, there is a risk that companies profiting from obesity treatment come to influence public conversation and national policy.

They point to Eli Lilly’s UK “Obesity Is a Disease” campaign, which explains that obesity is a complex disease rather than a failure of willpower, that the body can resist weight loss, and that people who have struggled for years deserve compassion, not blame.

Adverts invite people to check their body mass index, answer a few questions, and prepare for a conversation with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Although drugs are not mentioned, the campaign is by a pharmaceutical company whose drug tirzepatide is now a principal treatment for obesity.

Almost everything the campaign says about stigma is true, note the authors. The framing is at once scientifically defensible and commercially useful, and that convergence, they say, is exactly what makes it harder to criticise.

“This is what the commercial determinants of health look like in their subtlest form,” they argue. “We spot commercial influence far less readily when it arrives wrapped in the language of compassion and destigmatisation that public health has spent years cultivating.”

The risk is not mainly that more people will be prescribed weight loss drugs; for eligible patients that is a clear benefit, they write. The risk is that it endorses a clinical first approach to obesity that narrows the field of action.

If obesity is understood primarily as a disease awaiting clinical intervention, responsibility and resources may drift away from its upstream causes including poor urban planning, the food environment, deprivation, and marketing, they explain. “Obesity treatment and prevention may be quietly recast as only a personal, medical matter rather than a collective responsibility.”

Addressing this requires us to balance two perspectives: that destigmatising obesity is the right thing to do and that we should be wary of the vested interest pharmaceutical companies have in tackling that stigma, they write.

“Regulators should be willing to test the principles and identify the limits of the code by reference to campaigns like this one by a manufacturer, not only in relation to the pharmacies, clinics or influencers selling or promoting the drugs,” they conclude.

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Journal

The BMJ

DOI

10.1136/bmj-2026-101360

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

We should be wary of campaigns by pharmaceutical companies to destigmatise obesity

Article Publication Date

11-Nov-2026

 

New clinical definition of obesity could help target care more effectively, saving time and money

University College London

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The traditional way of assessing whether someone is overweight using body mass index (BMI) may fail to capture whether excess body fat is harmful and could be supplemented with a second measure when assessing patients, a new UCL study suggests.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, the researchers used data from the 1970 British Cohort Study to see how nearly 7,000 46-year-olds compared in terms of their obesity levels according to both the traditional Body Mass Index (BMI) (an adult’s weight divided by their height squared) and the newer Lancet Commission on Clinical Obesity definition¹ which considers excess body fat alongside either tissue/organ functional impairment or substantial, age-adjusted limitations in daily living activities.

They found that about two thirds 69%) of people classified as living with obesity (>=30+ kg/m2) according to the BMI were not considered to have clinical obesity by the newer definition; by contrast, a smaller number (4%) who were considered a healthy weight by BMI thresholds showed signs of having clinical obesity.

Their study is the first to look at a wide group of people of a specific age, thereby ruling out factors that might be accounted for by age (such as that older people are naturally more likely to have organ damage).

The researchers are calling for clinicians and policymakers to consider “moving beyond BMI alone” when it comes to assessing the health implications of an individual’s weight, arguing that the traditional BMI measure does not give the full picture – and can even be very misleading.

They say the NHS could save time and money were the newer definition of obesity to used routinely by GPs and hospital doctors alongside the BMI and the former may also better identify those people at greater risk of obesity-related illness in the future.

Lead author Dr Jo Blodgett (UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science) said: “Midlife is a sensitive period when we consider trajectories of developing negative health outcomes. Using the newer Lancet classification in this age group may help identify those at greatest risk of poor health and who would benefit most from intervention. This has a lot of value from a policymakers’ perspective and could save the NHS and its staff time and money.

“Moving beyond BMI alone could better distinguish healthy people, who have high BMI due to their body type, from those who have underlying and clinically relevant health limitations or relevant organ dysfunction.

Co-author Dr John Mitchell (UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science) said: “The Lancet Commission definition also provides a more meaningful way for researchers to study who develops clinical obesity, how people transition from pre-clinical to clinical obesity, and which groups are at greatest risk of subsequent disease.”

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission on the Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Clinical Obesity was established to resolve long-standing controversies over whether obesity is a distinct disease or merely a risk factor for other illnesses, and to move away from the limitations of using Body Mass Index (BMI) alone.

In January 2025, the Commission published its new Clinical Obesity definition in a report which was endorsed by 76 global medical and patient-advocacy organisations.

The UCL team applied the new 2025 clinical definition of obesity to 6,978 46-year-old UK adults and found substantial differences compared with traditional BMI categories.

The new framework classified 30% of their study’s participants as not having obesity, 53% as having a pre-clinical level of obesity and 18% as having clinical obesity. By comparison, BMI classified 29% as of a healthy weight, 38% as overweight and 32% as having obesity.

Importantly, the researchers said, among people classified as being obese using BMI (≥30 kg/m²), only 31% were deemed to have clinical obesity by the new definition, with the remaining 69% being classified as having pre-clinical obesity. The mismatch also worked in the other direction; among people considered overweight by BMI (25-30kg/m2), only 16.6% of those met the criteria for having clinical obesity, while 18% had no obesity, according to the new definition.

There was also some early evidence that the clinical definition may better distinguish future health risk. Over five years, people with pre-clinical and clinical obesity had approximately three and five times greater odds of death, respectively, than those without obesity, whereas BMI-defined overweight and obesity categorisations were not associated with mortality. However, there were only 27 deaths, so these mortality findings need to be interpreted cautiously and replicated in larger studies with longer follow-up.

Notes to Editors

For more information, including a copy of the research paper or to speak to the UCL authors, please contact Nick Hodgson, UCL Media Relations. T: +44 (0)7769 240209, E: nick.hodgson@ucl.ac.uk  

Joanna M Blodgett, John J Mitchell, Janine Makaronidis and Mark Hamer, Rethinking obesity: comparison of the new clinical obesity framework with traditional BMI-based classifications in midlife UK adults, will be published in the International Journal of Obesity at 01:00 Wednesday 11th November UK time/20:00 Tuesday 10th November US Eastern time and is strictly embargoed until that time.

The DOI number is 10.1038/s41366-026-02257-2.

¹ Cf Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, January 14, 2025.

About University College London (UCL)

UCL is a global top 10 university, set up in London 200 years ago to offer education for all. Today, we gather 60,000 staff and students, from over 150 countries, to create a unique city within a city – a research and innovation powerhouse that leads the world in subjects spanning the arts, sciences, technology and the humanities. We’ve nurtured 33 Nobel Prize winners, because here, brave ideas have the scale and the support they need to succeed. We are University College London. And here, it can happen. 

UCL turns 200 in 2026. Join us for a year of bicentennial events and celebration. 

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Journal

International Journal of Obesity

DOI

10.1038/s41366-026-02257-2

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Rethinking obesity: comparison of the new clinical obesity framework with traditional BMI-based classifications in midlife UK adults

Article Publication Date

10-Nov-2026

 

Managing holiday meals in an unprecedented year of food recalls

New national survey shows most Americans on higher alert for foodborne illnesses

Orlando Health

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A new national survey from Orlando Health shows nearly 60% of U.S. adults are more concerned about foodborne illnesses this year.

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Credit: Orlando Health

ORLANDO, FL — 2026 has been an unusually severe and active year for food safety issues, particularly when measured by outbreak case counts and recall volume by weight. Now Americans are on high alert to protect their loved ones around the table this holiday season.

A new national survey from Orlando Health reveals nearly 60% of U.S. adults are more concerned about foodborne illnesses this year than in previous years.

“It sounds scary to hear about all of these different bacteria or these new infections, E. coli, Salmonella, Cyclospora, Campylobacter, Giardia, but in reality, they're not new. We’ve treated them before,” said Daniel Egan, M.D., a physician with Orlando Health Medical Group - Infectious Diseases. “If you're more aware of it, you're also going to take more steps to prevent those kind of infections.” 

Dr. Egan recommends vigilance from preparing the food to putting away leftovers:

• Wash your hands frequently between tasks: Taking a brief pause to wash your hands with soap and water, especially between different preparation steps (such as switching from handling raw poultry to preparing stuffing), after using the restroom or when feeling unwell, is one of the single most effective ways to prevent spreading pathogens.

• Never wash or rinse raw poultry: Do not rinse raw turkey or chicken in the sink. Water splashing off the poultry splatters bacteria onto surrounding countertops, plates, utensils and sink surfaces. Heat from proper cooking safely destroys the bacteria.

• Prevent cross-contamination with separate tools and storage: Use distinct cutting boards, prepware and utensils for raw meats versus serveware and ready-to-eat dishes. In the refrigerator, keep raw meats covered and stored on separate shelves or drawers away from produce and leafy greens.

• Use a food thermometer to check internal temperatures: Avoid eyeballing or relying on visual inspection alone. Use a thermometer probe to ensure poultry and meats reach safe internal cooking temperatures and don't remain in the bacterial “danger zone.” 

• Rinse produce and leafy greens, even pre-washed items: Always rinse fresh produce under running water before eating, even if the package states it is "pre-washed" or "pre-cleaned" because bacteria can be picked up during transport and handling.

• Keep food covered and track sitting time: Keep dishes covered while serving or transporting them to guard against environmental contaminants like dust and pet hair. Limit the time perishable foods sit out (aiming for a one to two-hour maximum) before packing leftovers into airtight containers in the refrigerator.

“Holiday cooking is unique compared to your normal daily or weekly cooking,” Dr. Egan said. “Cooking large meals, you might skip a few steps here and there to try and be more efficient. But that increases your risk for transmitting infection.” 

Symptoms, including vomiting, nausea, cramps, diarrhea and fever, can happen anywhere from six hours to several days after exposure to foodborne bacteria. Mild cases that clear within a day can usually be managed at home. Dr. Egan advises going to the doctor when symptoms worsen or persist. Young children, older adults, pregnant women and immunocompromised people face the greatest risk of complications, such as dehydration and kidney problems.

“If it resolves within a day, then it's resolved,” Dr. Egan said. “If it's not going away or it's even escalating, your body is losing fluids, it's losing electrolytes. We can do testing to see if there's anything wrong with your electrolytes and if there's any particular infection that needs antibiotics.”

Nationally, foodborne diseases sicken 48 million people every year, causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. That’s why Meg Powel, 33, of Columbus, Ohio, takes the necessary steps, no matter the current outbreak, to protect her family meals from foodborne illnesses.

“I would never want that to happen in my own house, in my own kitchen so I really try to be as careful as possible,” Powel said. “Using disposable gloves, a good produce wash, airtight containers, a food thermometer, multiple cutting boards. At the end of the day, if I'm the one serving everything, then I take full responsibility to make sure everyone is really taken care of.”

Meg Powel, 33, of Columbus, Ohio, puts leftovers in an airtight container before they get cold, which is one way experts say to avoid foodborne illnesses.

Credit

Orlando Health

 

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $15 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States – including Florida and Alabama – and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health’s mission is to improve the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided $3.6 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 25, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People