New shark deterrent lights up hope for surfers' safety
Reports of shark attacks on surfers appear in the media quite regularly. Researchers have decided to tackle this issue. Scientists from Macquarie University in New South Wales have developed a simple but effective way to deter these predators.
9:46 AM EST, November 13, 2024
Great white sharks are the species responsible for the majority of fatal shark bites. Laura Ryan, a researcher from Macquarie University, quoted by the BBC, points out that these predators most often attack because they mistake the silhouette of a surfer for that of a seal.
This is confirmed by statistics indicating that surfers and people engaging in other board water sports are the most frequently attacked. As noted by the BBC, last year alone, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites, with most occurring in the USA, Australia, and the Republic of South Africa. Ten of those attacked died.
Australian scientists investigated whether distorting the silhouette would deter sharks from attacking. To this end, they conducted a series of experiments in Mossel Bay off the Republic of South Africa coast, where great white sharks regularly appear. The researchers admitted they were inspired by species that use bioluminescence.
The research results are promising
The Australian study, published in the journal "Current Biology," involved testing three different intensities of LED lights attached to seal-shaped boards towed behind a boat. The test results indicate that boards with the brightest lights arranged horizontally were the least susceptible to attacks by great white sharks.
Our results reveal the importance of a dark silhouette against a lighter background in predatory behaviour in great white sharks and that altering the silhouette may form the basis of new non-invasive shark deterrent technology to protect human life, the researchers quoted by the BBC, point out.
Scientists are now building prototype lighting strips to test on surfboards and kayaks.
