Great white sharks are the species responsible for most human shark bite deaths and often attack their prey from underneath, said lead researcher Laura Ryan. This means that sometimes sharks mistake the silhouette of a surfer for the outline of a seal.
Researchers say it is also important to determine whether LED lights are effective in deterring other shark species known to attack humans, including bull sharks and tiger sharks.
Most attacks involve people surfing or engaging in other board sports. Statistics show that in 2023 there were 69 cases of unprovoked shark bites, mostly in the United States, Australia and South Africa, 10 of which were fatal., external
The Australian study, published in the journal Current Biology,, external It involved testing three different intensities of LED lighting.
Mr Ryan said the study showed that the brightest lights aligned horizontally were less likely to be targets.
“Our results demonstrate the importance of dark silhouettes against light backgrounds in the predatory behavior of great white sharks, and suggest that altering silhouettes could form the basis for new non-invasive shark deterrence techniques to protect human life,” the researchers said. “It shows,” he said.
They added that it was interesting that great white sharks were less attracted to the most visible lights, as other studies have found that some species are attracted to bright, reflective objects.
Researchers are currently building prototype light strips to test on surfboards and kayaks.
