Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

Scientific Reports
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. scientific reports
  3. articles
  4. article
Flow-driven patterns of whale shark movement in the Red Sea
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 02 April 2026

Flow-driven patterns of whale shark movement in the Red Sea

  • Raquel L. Ostrovski1,
  • Jesse E. M. Cochran1,
  • Yuri Niella2,
  • Alkiviadis Kalampokis1,3,
  • Israel J. S. Filho4,
  • Ute Langner1,
  • Royale S. Hardenstine1,
  • Paula Moraga4,
  • Michael L. Berumen1 &
  • …
  • Burton H. Jones1 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Animal migration
  • Behavioural ecology
  • Ecological modelling

Abstract

Dynamic ocean features (e.g., currents, eddies) can drive large-scale transport of water masses and nutrients, facilitating localized plankton blooms and affecting the migration patterns of higher trophic levels. The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a highly migratory planktivore known to aggregate in areas of ephemeral food abundance. While the species’ presence has been widely correlated with environmental variables such as water temperature and chlorophyll-a, the Red Sea population appears to be primarily associated with other oceanographic variables. Here, we investigated factors influencing juvenile whale shark presence within the Red Sea by correlating previously published tracking data with remote sensing measurements of environmental variables using Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM). Model results revealed a significant correlation between whale shark presence and mixed-layer depth, wind direction, north-south current velocity, and temperature. The model trends and satellite-tracking analysis also indicated that whale sharks would spend more time actively following eddies within the basin. This new insight can help understand how whale sharks rely on ocean dynamics in this nutrient-poor subtropical basin, as regions influenced by wind, chlorophyll enrichment, and vertical mixing offer increased foraging opportunities for the species. It may also serve as a reference point for future research that identifies key whale shark habitats and considers the impact of climate change on preferred environments.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

IUCN:

International Union for Conservation of Nature

CITES:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

SPOT:

Satellite Positioning and Temperature Tag

GAMM:

Generalized Additive Mixed Model

BRAN:

Bluelink Reanalysis Model

SST:

Sea Surface Temperature

SSH:

Sea Surface Height

MLD:

Mixed Layer Depth

Wspd:

Wind Speed

Wdir:

Wind Direction

VCS:

Vertical current speed

HCS:

Horizontal current speed

VCUR:

North South Current Velocity

UCUR:

West East current

WCUR:

Bottom surface current

ChlA:

Chlorophyll-a

AIC:

Akaike Information Criterion

ANOVA:

Analysis of Variance

GAIW:

Gulf of Aden Intermediate Waters

References

  1. Curtis, T. H., Zeeman, S. I., Summers, E. L., Cadrin, S. X. & Skomal, G. B. Eyes in the sky: linking satellite oceanography and biotelemetry to explore habitat selection by basking sharks. Anim. Biotelemetry. 2, 12 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ogburn, M. B. et al. Addressing challenges in the application of animal movement ecology to aquatic conservation and management. Front. Mar. Sci 4 (2017).

  3. Cooke, S. J. et al. Biotelemetry: a mechanistic approach to ecology. Trends Ecol. Evol. 19, 334–343 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hammerschlag, N., Gallagher, A. J. & Lazarre, D. M. A review of shark satellite tagging studies. J. Exp. Mar. Bio Ecol. 398, 1–8 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hussey, N. E. et al. Aquatic animal telemetry: A panoramic window into the underwater world. Science 348, 1255642 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wilson, S. G., Taylor, J. G. & Pearce, A. F. The seasonal aggregation of whale sharks at Ningaloo reef, western Australia: Currents, migrations and the El Niño/ southern oscillation. Environ. Biol. Fishes. 61, 1–11 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hazen, E. L. et al. Scales and mechanisms of marine hotspot formation. Mar. Ecol. Prog Ser. 487, 177–183 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chassot, E. et al. Global marine primary production constrains fisheries catches. Ecol. Lett. 13, 495–505 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Compagno L. J. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue for shark species known to date: Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes. Food and Agriculture 2 (2001).

  10. Rowat, D. & Brooks, K. S. A review of the biology, fisheries and conservation of the whale shark Rhincodon typus. J. Fish. Biol. 80, 1019–1056 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kumari, B. & Raman, M. Whale shark habitat assessments in the northeastern Arabian Sea using satellite remote sensing. Int. J. Remote Sens. 31, 379–389 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hacohen-Domené, A. et al. Habitat suitability and environmental factors affecting whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregations in the Mexican Caribbean. Environ. Biol. Fishes. 98, 1953–1964 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rohner, C. A. et al. Satellite tagging highlights the importance of productive Mozambican coastal waters to the ecology and conservation of whale sharks. PeerJ 6, e4161 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Rohner, C. A. et al. Trends in sightings and environmental influences on a coastal aggregation of manta rays and whale sharks. Mar. Ecol. Prog Ser. 482, 153–168 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Graham, R. T., Roberts, C. M. & Smart, J. C. R. Diving behaviour of whale sharks in relation to a predictable food pulse. J. R Soc. Interface. 3, 109–116 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Robinson, D. P. et al. Whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, aggregate around offshore platforms in Qatari waters of the Arabian Gulf to feed on fish spawn. PLoS One. 8, e58255 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Perry, C. T. et al. St. Helena: An important reproductive habitat for whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the central south Atlantic. Front. Mar. Sci. 7 (2020).

  18. Berumen, M. L., Braun, C. D., Cochran, J. E. M., Skomal, G. B. & Thorrold, S. R. Movement patterns of juvenile whale sharks tagged at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. PLoS One. 9, e103536 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Cochran, J. E. M. et al. Population structure of a whale shark Rhincodon typus aggregation in the Red Sea. J. Fish. Biol. 89, 1570–1582 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Cochran, J. E. M. et al. Multi-method assessment of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) residency, distribution, and dispersal behavior at an aggregation site in the Red Sea. PLoS One. 14, e0222285 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Li, H., Veldhuis, M. J. W. & Post, A. F. Alkaline phosphatase activities among planktonic communities in the northern Red Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog Ser. 173, 107–115 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Veldhuis, M. J. W., Kraay, G. W. & Timmermans, K. R. Cell death in phytoplankton: correlation between changes in membrane permeability, photosynthetic activity, pigmentation and growth. Eur. J. Phycol. 36, 167–177 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Belkin, I. M. Rapid warming of Large Marine Ecosystems. Prog Oceanogr. 81, 207–213 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Raitsos, D. E. et al. Abrupt warming of the red sea. Geophys. Res. Lett. 38 (2011).

  25. Sofianos, S. S. & Johns, W. E. An Oceanic General Circulation Model (OGCM) investigation of the Red Sea circulation: 2. Three-dimensional circulation in the Red Sea. J. Geophys. Res 108 (2003).

  26. Triantafyllou, et al. Exploring the Red Sea Seasonal Ecosystem Functioning Using a Three-Dimensional Biophysical Model. J Geophys Res: Oceans 119 3, 1791-1811 (2014).

  27. Asfahani, K. et al. Capturing a mode of intermediate water formation in the red sea. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans. 125, e2019JC015803 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Dreano, D., Raitsos, D. E., Gittings, J., Krokos, G. & Hoteit, I. The gulf of Aden intermediate water intrusion regulates the southern Red Sea summer phytoplankton blooms. PLoS One. 11, e0168440 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Sofianos, S. S. & Johns, W. E. Observations of the summer Red Sea circulation. J. Geophys. Res. 112 (2007).

  30. Zhai, P. & Bower, A. The response of the Red Sea to a strong wind jet near the Tokar Gap in summer. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans. 118, 421–434 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Zarokanellos, N. D. et al. Physical mechanisms routing nutrients in the central Red Sea. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans. 122, 9032–9046 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Pierce, S. J. & Norman, B. Rhincodon typus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List. Threatened Species. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19488A2365291.en (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Jonsen, I. D. et al. aniMotum, an R package for animal movement data: Rapid quality control, behavioural estimation and simulation. Methods Ecol. Evol. 14, 806–816 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Maindonald, J. Gamclass: Functions and Data for a Course on Modern Regression and Classification (2025).

  35. Lea, J. S. E. et al. Ontogenetic partial migration is associated with environmental drivers and influences fisheries interactions in a marine predator. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 75, 1383–1392 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Niella, Y., Butcher, P., Holmes, B., Barnett, A., & Harcourt, R. Forecasting intraspecific changes in distribution of a wide-ranging marine predator under climate change. Oecologia 198, 111–124 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Wood, S. N. Generalized Additive Models. Productivity Press (2017).

  38. Kheireddine, M., Mayot, N., Ouhssain, M. & Jones, B. H. Regionalization of the Red Sea based on phytoplankton phenology: A satellite analysis. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 126 (2021).

  39. Raitsos, D. E., Pradhan, Y., Brewin, R. J. W. & Stenchikov, G. Hoteit, I. Remote sensing the phytoplankton seasonal succession of the Red Sea. PLoS One. 8, e64909 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Qurban, M. A., Wafar, M., Jyothibabu, R. & Manikandan, K. P. Patterns of primary production in the Red Sea. J. Mar. Syst. 169, 87–98 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Kheireddine, M. et al. Assessing pigment-based phytoplankton community distributions in the red sea. Front. Mar. Sci. 4 (2017).

  42. Zhan, P., Subramanian, A. C., Yao, F. & Hoteit, I. Eddies in the Red Sea: A statistical and dynamical study. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans. 119, 3909–3925 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Yao, F. et al. Seasonal overturning circulation in the Red Sea: 2. Winter circulation. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans. 119, 2263–2289 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Robitzch, V. S. N., Lozano-Cortés, D., Kandler, N. M., Salas, E. & Berumen, M. L. Productivity and sea surface temperature are correlated with the pelagic larval duration of damselfishes in the Red Sea. Mar. Pollut Bull. 105, 566–574 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Ellis, J. et al. Cross shelf benthic biodiversity patterns in the Southern Red Sea. Sci. Rep. 7, 437 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  46. DeCarlo, T. M. et al. Patterns, drivers, and ecological implications of upwelling in coral reef habitats of the southern red sea. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 126 (2021).

  47. Ryan, J. P., Green, J. R., Espinoza, E. & Hearn, A. R. Association of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) with thermo-biological frontal systems of the eastern tropical Pacific. PLoS One. 12, e0182599 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  48. Brunnschweiler, J. M., Baensch, H., Pierce, S. J. & Sims, D. W. Deep-diving behaviour of a whale shark Rhincodon typus during long-distance movement in the western Indian Ocean. J. Fish. Biol. 74, 706–714 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  49. de Boyer Montégut, C., Madec, G., Fischer, A. S., Lazar, A. & Iudicone, D. Mixed layer depth over the global ocean: An examination of profile data and a profile-based climatology. J. Geophys. Res 109 (2004).

  50. Mahadevan, A., Tandon, A. & Ferrari, R. Rapid changes in mixed layer stratification driven by submesoscale instabilities and winds. J. Geophys. Res. 115 (2010).

  51. Behrenfeld, M. J. Abandoning Sverdrup’s Critical Depth Hypothesis on phytoplankton blooms. Ecology 91, 977–989 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Araujo, G. et al. Photo-ID and telemetry highlight a global whale shark hotspot in Palawan, Philippines. Sci. Rep. 9, 17209 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  53. Meekan, M. G., Fuiman, L. A., Davis, R., Berger, Y. & Thums, M. Swimming strategy and body plan of the world’s largest fish: implications for foraging efficiency and thermoregulation. Front. Mar. Sci. 2 (2015).

  54. Cade, D. E. et al. Whale sharks increase swimming effort while filter feeding, but appear to maintain high foraging efficiencies. J. Exp. Biol. 223, jeb224402 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  55. Wilson, S. G., Polovina, J. J., Stewart, B. S. & Meekan, M. G. Movements of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) tagged at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Mar. Biol. 148, 1157–1166 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  56. Rowat, D. & Gore, M. Regional scale horizontal and local scale vertical movements of whale sharks in the Indian Ocean off Seychelles. Fish. Res. 84, 32–40 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  57. Manuhutu, J. F., Wiadnya, D. G. R., Sambah, A. B. & Herawati, E. Y. presence of whale sharks based on oceanographic variations in Cenderawasih Bay National Park, Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22 (2021).

  58. Valsecchi, S. et al. Analysis of the temporal and spatial variability of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation in the South Ari Marine Protected Area, Maldives, Indian Ocean. Eur. Zool. J. 88, 684–697 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  59. Sleeman, J. C. et al. Oceanographic and atmospheric phenomena influence the abundance of whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. J. Exp. Mar. Bio Ecol. 382, 77–81 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  60. Raitsos, D. E. et al. Monsoon oscillations regulate fertility of the Red Sea. Geophys. Res. Lett. 42, 855–862 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  61. Agulles, M., Jordà, G., Jones, B., Agustí, S. & Duarte, C. M. Temporal evolution of temperatures in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden based on in situ observations (1958–2017). Ocean. Sci. 16, 149–166 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  62. Chaidez, V., Dreano, D., Agusti, S., Duarte, C. M. & Hoteit, I. Decadal trends in Red Sea maximum surface temperature. Sci. Rep. 7 (2017).

  63. Pearman, J. K., El-Sherbiny, M. M., Lanzén, A., Al-Aidaroos, A. M. & Irigoien, X. Zooplankton diversity across three Red Sea reefs using pyrosequencing. Front. Mar. Sci 1 (2014).

  64. McGillicuddy, D. J. Jr. Mechanisms of physical-biological-biogeochemical interaction at the oceanic mesoscale. Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci. 8, 125–159 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  65. Arostegui, M. C., Gaube, P., Woodworth-Jefcoats, P. A., Kobayashi, D. R. & Braun, C. D. Anticyclonic eddies aggregate pelagic predators in a subtropical gyre. Nature 609, 535–540 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  66. Godø, O. R. et al. Mesoscale eddies are oases for higher trophic marine life. PLoS One. 7, e30161 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  67. José, Y. S. et al. Influence of mesoscale eddies on biological production in the Mozambique Channel: Several contrasted examples from a coupled ocean-biogeochemistry model. Deep Sea Res. Part. 2 Top. Stud. Oceanogr. 100, 79–93 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  68. Condie, S. & Condie, R. Retention of plankton within ocean eddies. Glob Ecol. Biogeogr. 25, 1264–1277 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  69. Eden, B. R., Steinberg, D. K., Goldthwait, S. A. & McGillicuddy, D. J. Zooplankton community structure in a cyclonic and mode-water eddy in the Sargasso Sea. Deep Sea Res. Part. 1 Oceanogr. Res. Pap. 56, 1757–1776 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  70. Yi, Z. et al. Submesoscale kinetic energy induced by vertical buoyancy fluxes during the tropical cyclone Haitang. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 129 (2024).

  71. Qiu, C. et al. Observational energy transfers of a spiral cold filament within an anticyclonic eddy. Prog Oceanogr. 220, 103187 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  72. Wang, Q. et al. Observed cross-shelf flow induced by mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 48, 1609–1628 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  73. McGillicuddy, D. J. Jr et al. Eddy/wind interactions stimulate extraordinary mid-ocean plankton blooms. Science 316, 1021–1026 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  74. Guerrero, L., Sheinbaum, J., Mariño-Tapia, I., González-Rejón, J. J. & Pérez-Brunius, P. Influence of mesoscale eddies on cross-shelf exchange in the western Gulf of Mexico. Cont. Shelf Res. 209, 104243 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  75. Yopak, K. E. & Frank, L. R. Brain size and brain organization of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, using magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Behav. Evol. 74, 121–142 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  76. Dove, A. D. M. Foraging and ingestive behaviors of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, in response to chemical stimulus cues. Biol. Bull. 228, 65–74 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  77. Gaube, P. et al. Mesoscale eddies influence the movements of mature female white sharks in the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea. Sci. Rep. 8 (2018).

  78. Gardiner, J. M. & Atema, J. Sharks need the lateral line to locate odor sources: rheotaxis and eddy chemotaxis. J. Exp. Biol. 210, 1925–1934 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  79. Schluessel, V. Who would have thought that Jaws also has brains? Cognitive functions in elasmobranchs. Anim. Cogn. 18, 19–37 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  80. Braun, C. D., Gaube, P., Sinclair-Taylor, T. H., Skomal, G. B. & Thorrold, S. R. Mesoscale eddies release pelagic sharks from thermal constraints to foraging in the ocean twilight zone. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 116, 17187–17192 (2019).

  81. Braun, C. D. et al. Pelagic sharks target long-lived, retentive anticyclonic eddies in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 70, 3972–3982 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  82. Araujo, G., Labaja, J., Snow, S., Huveneers, C. & Ponzo, A. Changes in diving behaviour and habitat use of provisioned whale sharks: implications for management. Sci. Rep. 10, 16951 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  83. Gunn, J. S., Stevens, J. D., Davis, T. L. O. & Norman, B. M. Observations on the short-term movements and behaviour of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Mar. Biol. 135, 553–559 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  84. Heyman, W. D., Graham, R. T., Kjerfve, B. & Johannes, R. E. Whale sharks Rhincodon typus aggregate to feed on fish spawn in Belize. Mar. Ecol. Prog Ser. 215, 275–282 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  85. Hsu, H. H., Joung, S. J., Liao, Y. Y. & Liu, K. M. Satellite tracking of juvenile whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, in the Northwestern Pacific. Fish. Res. 84, 25–31 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  86. Arrowsmith, L. M., Sequeira, A. M. M., Pattiaratchi, C. B. & Meekan, M. G. Water temperature is a key driver of horizontal and vertical movements of an ocean giant, the whale shark Rhincodon typus. Mar. Ecol. Prog Ser. 679, 101–114 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  87. Brewin, R. J. W. et al. Regional ocean-colour chlorophyll algorithms for the Red Sea. Remote Sens. Environ. 165, 64–85 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  88. Viswanadhapalli, Y., Dasari, H. P., Langodan, S., Challa, V. S. & Hoteit, I. Climatic features of the Red Sea from a regional assimilative model. Int. J. Climatol. 37, 2563–2581 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  89. Grose, S. O., Pendleton, L., Leathers, A., Cornish, A. & Waitai, S. Climate change will re-draw the map for marine megafauna and the people who depend on them. Front Mar. Sci 7 (2020).

  90. Melbourne-Thomas, J. et al. Poleward bound: adapting to climate-driven species redistribution. Rev. Fish. Biol. Fish. 32, 231–251 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  91. Harvey-Carroll, J. et al. The impact of injury on apparent survival of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area, Maldives. Sci. Rep. 11, 937 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  92. Womersley, F. C. et al. Identifying priority sites for whale shark ship collision management globally. Sci. Total Environ. 934, 172776 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Djidenou Montcho for the assistance and opinions on the model development, João Curdia for idea conceptualization and preliminary statistical trials, and Ronald Cadiz for help with figure creation. We thank Kelly Quinn for her approval of the use of her whale shark illustration on our figures. We are also grateful to all the people who supported us throughout the development of this study. Finally, we would like to thank Ana Bigio (Scientific Illustrator, Research Communication - KAUST) for her amazing schematic work on Figure 7.

Funding

This work was financially supported by KAUST baseline research funds (to MLB and BHJ), and previous whale shark tracking data were also provided by KAUST award nos. USA00002 and KSA 00011 (to SRT), and the United States National Science Foundation (OCE 0825148 to SRT and GBS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia

    Raquel L. Ostrovski, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Alkiviadis Kalampokis, Ute Langner, Royale S. Hardenstine, Michael L. Berumen & Burton H. Jones

  2. IMOS Animal Tracking Facility, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, Australia

    Yuri Niella

  3. Qualitas Instruments S.A, C. de la Toronga, 31, Madrid, 28043, Hortaleza, Spain

    Alkiviadis Kalampokis

  4. Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia

    Israel J. S. Filho & Paula Moraga

Authors
  1. Raquel L. Ostrovski
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jesse E. M. Cochran
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuri Niella
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alkiviadis Kalampokis
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Israel J. S. Filho
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ute Langner
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Royale S. Hardenstine
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Paula Moraga
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Michael L. Berumen
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Burton H. Jones
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Raquel L. Ostrovski: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review and editing, Visualization; Jesse E. M. Cochran: Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Visualization, Writing - review and editing; Yuri Niella: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing - original draft; Alkiviadis Kalampokis: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Supervision, Visualization, Writing - review and editing; Israel J. S. Filho: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Software; Ute Langner: Investigation, Software, Visualization; Royale S. Hardenstine: Investigation, Writing- review and editing; Paula Moraga: Methodology, Validation, Visualization; Michael Berumen: Data curation, Funding acquisition, Resources, Validation, Visualization, Writing - review and editing; Burton Jones: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing - review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raquel L. Ostrovski.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 2 (download ZIP )

Supplementary Material 1 (download PDF )

Supplementary Material 3 (download DOCX )

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ostrovski, R.L., Cochran, J.E., Niella, Y. et al. Flow-driven patterns of whale shark movement in the Red Sea. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-45029-8

Download citation

  • Received: 31 March 2025

  • Accepted: 16 March 2026

  • Published: 02 April 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-45029-8

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • Eddies
  • Environmental variables
  • Habitat preferences
  • Megafauna movement
  • Habitat modeling
  • Saudi Arabia
Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • News & Comment
  • Collections
  • Subjects
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on X
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • About Scientific Reports
  • Contact
  • Journal policies
  • Guide to referees
  • Calls for Papers
  • Editor's Choice
  • Journal highlights
  • Open Access Fees and Funding

Publish with us

  • For authors
  • Language editing services
  • Open access funding
  • Submit manuscript

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

Scientific Reports (Sci Rep)

ISSN 2045-2322 (online)

nature.com footer links

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2026 Springer Nature Limited

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing