Thursday, December 12, 2024

Study on Light ‘Decoys’ to Distract Great White Sharks May Enhance Surfer Safety, Experts Claim

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Australian researchers have found that using bright lights may help reduce shark attacks, particularly in waters off South Africa where great white sharks are prevalent. Dr. Laura Ryan, a research fellow in comparative neurobiology and avid surfer, explored how the visual systems of sharks can be leveraged to protect ocean-goers. The study involved towing seal-shaped decoys illuminated by lights, which effectively disrupted the sharks’ ability to recognize silhouettes against sunlight, thus decreasing interactions and attacks. Although the striped light pattern on decoys proved effective in preventing shark recognition, further research is needed to assess whether similar methods can work on surfboards and with other shark species such as bull and tiger sharks. The researchers are currently developing a prototype surfboard embedded with LEDs to potentially enhance surfer safety.

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