shark

Hart and one of his co-authors on a study recently published in Current Biology, biologist Laura Ryan, are planning to install similarly patterned LED lights on the bottoms of surfboards to see whether that can help reduce the risk of shark attacks.

But for decades, the data on all such shark repellents have been “ambiguous,” said Chris Lowe, a marine biologist and director of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, who had not read the new Australian study.

“How important is it that a shark can’t see you if it can still smell you and feel you,” Lowe asked.

Since 2000, millions of people have splashed around in the waters off the California coast, but there have been only 127 shark incidents recorded by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

An “incident” is when someone is approached and touched by a shark, or the shark touches their surfboard, paddleboard or similar mode of transport.