Geospatial analyzing of straits shipping paths for the integration of air quality and marine wildlife conservation

This paper develops a GIS-based model to determine suitable locations for shipping paths within Malacca Strait by investigating the best air quality. The mathematical and geospatial approach is used to identify a reasonable relationship between air quality and Dugong’s habitat location. Various factors with different levels of influence and degrees of importance were established as criteria. The chosen region of study, Malacca Strait, the world’s secondbusiest commercial shipping channel, undertakes several statistical and mathematical analyses of vessel transportation that focus on air quality concerning the main marine animal of Strait (Dugong), using the geographic information system (GIS) as a visualization platform. The distance from the maritime paths to the dugong home range is modeled based on NOx’s factor as the primary air pollutant of shipping emissions from moving vessels in the sea. The results took into consideration the main negative environmental elements in shipping paths. The minimum calculated distance serves as a constraint to indicate where the dugongs’ habitats cannot be located. The result is that too many parts of the probability of suitable Dugong habitat in the study area do not have a proper position that does not put it in conflict with shipping polluted zones. This research has successfully managed and developed a scientifically based method for understanding the relationship between wide life habitat and marine transportation by analyzing successful and nonsuccessful present and future shipping.