LED Strips Could Reduce the Risk of Great White Shark Encounters

Researchers in Mossel Bay, South Africa, have discovered that striped LED lights on seal decoys can effectively deter great white shark attacks by disrupting the decoy’s silhouette, a crucial visual cue sharks use to identify prey. This innovative counterillumination strategy could potentially be applied to surfboards, providing a non-invasive means to enhance safety for surfers. Ongoing tests aim to evaluate the method’s effectiveness with other shark species, such as bull and tiger sharks. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, indicate that while great whites rely heavily on their eyesight to locate prey, strategic use of light can obscure silhouettes, potentially mitigating the risk of shark encounters in aquatic environments. Further research is necessary before this technology is adopted widely for shark deterrence.