Trick Of The Light To Reduce Shark Attacks
Not all science moves as swiftly as a falling apple. It can take years for theories to be tested and become something more concrete.
Back in 2018, two Macquarie University researchers, Professor Nathan Hart and Doctor Laura Ryan, discovered an LED light array on the bottom of surfboards discouraged shark attack.
The initial theory is two-pronged. Firstly, most attacks on humans were cases of mistaken identity, with the shark thinking they were preying on a seal, and secondly, sharks have poor eyesight.
By combining the two aspects, the scientists used LED lights to make surfers appear less like intended prey. They cut boards from the silhouette of a real seal, covered them in lights of different patterns and brightness, then tested them in the waters off South Africa. The results were encouraging.
Now, almost seven years later, their research will be published and hopefully accepted by the scientific community.
Elaborating on the idea, the researchers noted that camouflage is difficult for swimming animals as "downwelling light is generally much brighter than the upwelling light, which means that any object will appear as a dark silhouette when viewed from below."
The theory extends an idea, made popular in Western Australia ten years ago, that a mix of black and white stripes on the bottom of surfboards will reduce unwanted attention from sharks.
Rather than just passive colours, however, LED lights interfere with the silhouette a shark would otherwise see. The emitted light giving a false sense of size and shape.
The researchers initially found success by covering the underside of the decoy entirely in lights. “But if you’re actually going to come up with something to protect people, [entirely] covering a surfboard…is just not practical because it’s a huge amount of lighting, which needs a huge amount of battery power,” Laura Ryan said.
The researchers experimented with more sparse lighting options, finding that horizontal stripes of LED lights had a similar deterrent effect. “When you do horizontal stripes, the silhouette [appears] wider than it is long, so it’s less like a seal,” Ryan said.
Longitudinal strips of light, however, were not effective, nor were strobe lights, which gave the sharks momentary glimpses of the decoy silhouette. “Interestingly, just that small glimpse of the entire silhouette was enough for the white sharks to start biting the decoys,” Ryan said.
The next step for the researchers is to develop a board that displays counterillumination, still performs as a board should, and comes in at the right price.
Knowing how particular surfers can be with equipment, getting the science accepted may be the easiest part of the project.
Comments
"Our results reveal the importance of a dark silhouette against a lighter background in predatory behavior in Great White sharks and that altering the silhouette may form the basis of new non-invasive shark deterrent technology to protect human life."
Wasn't this already well established knowledge about shark hunting behaviour?
Was this part of the science behind the idea of horizontal zebra stripes on wetsuits (which never took off)?
I'd say so. Not sure it stems from the same research but it appears based on the same theory.
I recall on these pages somewhere that Caml(?) had a black and white striped board but when he dove under his board with a mask on and looked back up the stripes were poorly defined.
Great findings, look forward to reading the research!
I think you've unwittingly captured the essence of publication bias.
9/10 doctors recommend Goodies breakfast cereal, mind you we had trouble finding those 9...
Good stuff. Could this same research help when dealing with real estate agents? Horizontal striped shirt.
Few product managers out there right now contemplating how they'll build horizontal striped LED strips into the bottom of various types of watercraft without creating unwanted drag.
How this works on a bodyboard (i.e. fairly soft materials comparative to surfboards), I have no idea...
Flexible LED Strip Lighting.
Embed into the foam and clear glass coat over the top?
Having a charging provision and maintaining IPx8 protection would be tricky... Wonder if you could get enough charge from a piezo (convert some board flex into charge) without noticeable performance impact.
Oh great as if I didn't have enough problems laminating channels... :-)
Lol - your work is appreciated tho.. love channels
Disco balls tend to attract sharks in my experience so they wouldn't work.
Good luck with the research.
It used to be don’t wear jewelry in the ocean as it might attract sharks.. but now it’s get some lights on your board. Right.. silly cake eaters. Battery power bahaha. Clown world.
Make the LEDs change colour and name the board the 'cuttleFISH'.
(Fun fact.. Cuttlefish can 'shield' their electrical field when threatened by sharks)
Actually, they did a study a few years ago with lights on some fishing nets to stop/slow the bycatch (turtles mainly) and shark interactions. Apparently, they had some success using green light because it didn't affect the target species.
"The lit nets brought in 63% less bycatch, including 51% fewer turtles and 81% fewer squid, than the dark nets, the researchers report today in Current Biology. The most “gratifying” result, Lewison says, was with elasmobranchs, the group that includes sharks and rays. In the Gulf of California, she says, shark bycatch is “a huge issue.” In the new study, it went down by a whopping 95%."
https://www.science.org/content/article/these-simple-green-lights-could-...
Wasn't aware of that! The effect seems large and Current Bio is a decent journal. Hope it moves forward
They could like nice cutting thru the dark silk on a nighttime surf.
Lol.. just fish a few. They’re saved already der.
So theres already effective electric pulse deterrents out there that work ..But led lights are all over the news ??smells like a funding story to me
And very few poeple use the deterrants that work instead they buy magnets and stickers promoted by some puddinghead instead.. might as well add some disco lights i suppose ..
Puddinghead lol.. thanks!
And even the Guy that Invented an Electrical Deterrant that he says Works....
Doesn't use it on All of His Surfboards . . .
Jan 2016 Sharks Light Silhouette Prey technique
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/12/great-white-shark-pr...
Oct 2021 (Shark Silhouette Continued)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/27/great-white-shark-at...
April 2018 LED lighting Tests
https://www.surfertoday.com/environment/led-light-up-surfboards-could-de...
2024 Continues
https://www.arc.gov.au/news-publications/media/making-difference-publica...
There's more to this latest story...on ABC News TV.
Test subjects are trawled behind a boat...
(Turbulence stirs up prey + distorts Light)
(Sea mammals love trailing Boats to save energy, rid parasites, free dental + pick up a free meal)
Tests were done in A Shark's bowl of Seal Cereal..
Never ever once pulled out a Free plastic toy surfer from me Seal Cereal Pack!
They dared not invite Sharks to feast on Surfboard or Soggy Weet-Bix Shapes
Strobe Flashing attracting bites as it allows Full Sized illuminated Prey between flashing
The Horizontal cross lines were best deterrent but less about the Lighting effect
They say it's because it breaks up the Large prey into smaller sized morsels (Read into that!)
swellnet version : Prey presents as a cunning smaller synchronized school...
or...(Waste of energy chasing the smaller thinner elusive dance troupe
Meaning the surfboard lines need to camouflage against ever changing Sky reflected Surface colour
But how...
Crew know this...just as Algae or other sea critters that feast on such...one imagines!
Intro Bio-Chemiluminescence that correlates to ocean surface light refraction.
tbb and crew are conditioned into thinking that Colour simply Fades or Glows with Light...Nope!
[8:15] Watch how same Water colour changes by dimming or switching light source.
swellnet crew also know Sun beaten Red Tide Algae naturally changes to Electric Blue in the Dark!
Where is tbb goin' with this...Dunno...
Wot! Oh yeah! Wotz Red Algae got to do with sharks?
Very clever question crew...Why! Coz once again ya all know why...
Ok! We need to Pause for another simple indifference that separates surf critters here!
Not all critters can surf the same lineups...Huh!
Surly all Majestic creatures roam all ocean freely without fear of Algal Blooms...Again...Nope!
Mammals (Dolphins) can & Do Surf Red Tides...but! (Wait for it...)
Sharks are Gill fish and must avoid Algal Blooms or Surf Board-like Algal Bloom Mass.
Gill fish need to avoid them Glowing Red Tides as it infects the gills & kills them fast!.
Soon as a flake of algal bloom hits yer Gold Fish...spreads fin rot...beginning of the end! Real Fast too!
Pretty sure surfing in A Glowing Deadly Red Tide would & Should act as a natural shark shield
Therefore one or more Algae Glowing Surfboard/s should confuse & repel a sharks!
1. 1st coat of resin 2. Spray Coat Bio Algae Colour Gel 3. Apply Finish Coat
Why stop there...
Imagine a harmless Algae to other Fish that time releases in a Surfers soup.
Go to yer surf shop & get injectable fill top ups like Squid ink...simply evenly rotate yer board..all good.
Set 2-4hr Ocean Algae release Surfie Soup...other critters don't worry but Sharks flee in fear.
They don't want any Surfa Sam Vegan Soup in their Gills...fuckin' Kill them dead in no time!
Yer Prototype Algae banded surfboard should also change with Surface Colour to ward off Sharks.
tbb said Glowing Veggie 'Prototype'...You can brew up the first batch of Psychedelic Mushie Brew.
Like how the fuck would this work tbb...like it sounds Dreamlike...(Again!)
That's coz it is...
Local Goldie Saltwater Crew used Alkaline Shark Repellent Soup
It was typical for Saltwater crew to intoxicate Gill Fish...(Shark Repellent Example)
These plants contain strong Poisonous Alkaloids that very few predators can stomach...(Kills them)
A shark's Eyes / Gills would burn like crazy & retreat instantly...Got it,
Being more seasonal than us modern surfers they likely used each seasonally or at toxic peak season.
Once shark trails yer Slipstream it's as good as gone in seconds..."Can't breathe!" All say Aye!
Damn clever surfers are Saltwater crew!
Blanching Wattle Tip Belts to trail Eye watering Gill burning Toxic Soup Trails.
Also Shoulder coiled & trailed a vine of Morning Glory (Can grow up to 100ft long)
Remind to think of toxic peak season poison to limit their load...just give the shark a taste of pure Evil!
https://waterwereld.nu/beach-morning-glory/
Saltwater crew respect Shark...never want to kill them in a cruel manner...just ward them off!
No different to swellnet crew...none wanna Cull them if ya can ward them off with Surfa Sam Soup.
But how do we know if it works...
Only Shark Survivors can dream up such exotic Shark fin rot soup recipes...well durr!
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/nine-out-ten-shark-scientists-agree-susta...
Bags not being the first surfer to offer myself for real world 'in the field' testing
I've got a sticker on the bottom of my board that says "I am not a seal"
I have had it for 3 months, so far so good
lol
Came with the original SharkCamo yeh? Ive got nothing&thats worked brilliantly so far
Let’s hope Macquarie has learned from their past mistakes / approach - and will remove the various roadblocks it has previously had for its staff to commercialise research outputs. The general Australian university approach to IP ownership stifles innovation compared to the US way.
It's amazing how humans were able to land on the Moon 55 years ago, can clone living beings, can generate 3D representations of the brain with magnetic waves, but yet still struggle to design a tool to repel sharks. Of course, the amount of investment in solving each problem is different, but still...
I hope this one is it!
2 Timothy 4:3
"For there will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to the own desires, having an itching ear, they will gather around them teachers to suit themselves"
Who needs facts, hire ye$ men... & women.
https://abc7ny.com/post/trump-cabinet-picks-list/15538044/
"In recent weeks Trump has bemoaned the insistence of networks to fact-check his speeches, raising spurious allegations of corruption and bias, and even threatened to somehow revoke broadcast licenses for major networks that air critical coverage."
"He has also suggested journalists should be thrown in jail for not revealing their sources, and has reportedly privately weighed using federal law enforcement to investigate publishers."
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-camp...
God will save us.... one day, they say.
Sounds like a good idea but have you done any testing in stopping shark attacks while surfing in a wave pool.
A slow stylish 'surf' adventure; In strife, in stripes.
If your worried about sharks, avoid; fish feeding times, dirty river mouths, surfing alone, & splashing like a distressed fish. If in dought *, ask the local old semi-retired surfer, fishermen, volunteer coastguard, lifeguard, Satellite tagging stn, etc.... before paddling out.
* https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED12454
Im going to hedge my bets; painting my board in stars and stripes.
https://www.instagram.com/cheynehoran/reel/DBPK2hcuWm9/
bbb check out my avi.
Apparently, an Israeli flag works even better.
truth is stranger than fiction; some get closer to painting a bigger picture.
So random thought that sounds easy to apply. Couldn't they use phosphorescent paint to apply stripes. A combo of black stripes and glow in the dark white stripes? A bit like TBB's long excerpt. Avoid the tricky problem of applying and powering leds. Anything breaking the line of the board horizontally feels like a snap hazard to me
.
What about shark eyes?
The theory I thought was that sharks like to surprise attack
Ecologically, it could be benefitial to have more killer whales along the coast to help daytime aquatic playing primates. However, shipping strikes, constant noise, sewerage, bilge & plastic pollution maybe reducing to population of this intelligent species; that use to organise hunting eg. with coastal Koorie tribes & with early euro whalers in Eden, NSW, Aust.
"Historically, orca were targeted by fishers for human consumption but no significant hunting occurs today." (in NZ)
"Nowadays, one of the greatest potential impacts is likely to be disturbance caused by vessel traffic. The presence of boats is known to disrupt the normal behaviour of these animals, particularly resting, and underwater noise may disrupt echolocation signals and other communication."
"As orca are at the top of the food web they are particularly susceptible to pollution via bioaccumulation (the accumulation of toxins through the food chain)."
Reference
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/dolphins/ki...
Take a deeper dive into the Center for Whale Research’s Current Biology-published paper: Postreproductive female killer whales reduce socially inflicted injuries in their male offspring.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/dolphins/ki...
Millions of clownfish, bullsharks, forest clearing sediment runoff for $ mining, cattle, sugarcane, suburban utopia & algal blooms (ATO) rules!
No tricks, science, just hunting
No need for batteries if you experimented with solar light tubes.
Install small solar light tube or tubes, flush with deck and bottom of surfboard and see how much light comes through.
VJ ...Fibre Optic Cable...?
Very similar to solar light tubes.
Fiber optic cables are made of thin strands of glass.
Light transmission
Fiber optic cables transmit light by using total internal reflection. Light bounces back and forth between the core and cladding of the cable, traveling down the core.
Sunlight capture
Fiber optic cables can be used to capture sunlight and distribute it into buildings. This can improve indoor environments and reduce the need for electric lighting.