What Led to a Mother’s Heartbreaking Decision?
Mother of a teen with significant learning disabilities, Rita Orr, found herself in a dire state and felt she had “no option” but to leave her son, Callum, in school and not go back to pick him up. Callum, who also has autism, frequently had physical outbursts at barely 15 years old that put his family and himself at risk.
“I begged the local health trust for more support two years ago,” Orr said. “I had to decide whether to leave Callum at school and call a social worker for emergency care when it didn’t arrive.”
The health trust in Callum’s treatment has said it cannot speak on specific situations. Still, this scenario’s wider ramifications mirror the difficulties many Northern Irish families experience.
According to a novel Australian study, L.E.D. strip lights fastened to surfboards could help lower the possibility of attacks by great white sharks. The studies carried out in Mossel Bay, South Africa, found that the lights can change the silhouette of surfers, reducing their appeal to predatory sharks. This creative solution might offer a noninvasive substitute for conventional shark deterrents such as drones and nets.
How Do L.E.D. Lights Affect Shark Attention?
Researchers from Macquarie University in New South Wales pulled seal-shaped boards with different L.E.D. light configurations behind a boat in a series of tests to see which lighting arrangement drew the most shark attention. The aim was to see how the lights affected the decoys’ visibility and silhouette on the water’s surface.
“The lights distorted the silhouette of our decoys, making them harder for great white sharks to see against the sunlight,” the researchers said. This might help stop sharks from confusing surfers for their preferred food, seals.
Can L.E.D. Lights Provide a Noninvasive Shark Deterrent?
The researchers say that one of the main advantages of this lighting system is that it offers a noninvasive approach to discourage sharks, unlike nets or drones that can damage aquatic life. “Lights could prove to be an effective, noninvasive method of shark restraint, which is especially important for conservation efforts,” scientists stated.
Great white sharks—responsible for most human shark-bite deaths—usually attack prey from below. They may confuse a surfer’s silhouette for the form of a seal. Changing this silhouette with L.E.D. lights should help to lower the possibility of such errors.
Will This Technique Work on Other Shark Species?
The study’s results highlight great white sharks and raise questions about whether a similar lighting method may be used on other shark species known to attack humans, such as bull sharks and tiger sharks. “It’s vital to see if this approach would be effective against other shark species often involved in attacks,” the scientists said.
Most shark attacks are connected to surfing when the victim’s silhouette is clearly shown against the sea. Recent numbers show 69 unprovoked shark bites in 2023, most of which happened in the U.S., Australia, and South Africa. Of them, ten were deadly.
What Were the Results of the L.E.D. Light Study?
Published in the journal *Current Biology*The study examined three varying L.E.D. light intensities coupled to the decoy boards. The researchers discovered that the brightest lights, especially those oriented horizontally, were less likely to draw great white sharks. “Our results highlight the significance of a dark shadow against a lighter background in the predatory behavior of great white sharks,” the scientists said. “We could be able to design a new kind of shark deterrent technology by changing the silhouette to better safeguard human life.”
Fascinatingly, the study revealed that the most conspicuous lights—those with more excellent brightness and better discernibility—drew fewer sharks. This is inconsistent with earlier research, which indicated that some shark species are attracted to bright, reflecting items. “It was interesting to find that great white sharks were less attracted to the brightest lights,” the researchers remarked. “This could suggest that the visibility of the decoy’s shadow is more significant than the light’s intensity.”
What's the Next Step in Testing L.E.D. Lights for Shark Deterrence?
Expanding on the encouraging findings, the team is now developing a prototype L.E.D. lighting strips, especially for surfboards and kayaks. Real-world testing of these prototypes will help to evaluate their degree of shark deterrent efficacy.
“We next want to create these prototypes for testing on surfboards and kayaks, which are common locations where shark attacks occur,” the researchers stated. “If these lights show to be efficient, they could provide a basic, low-cost solution to help keep people safe in shark-prone waters.”
Ultimately, the study presents a viable substitute for more intrusive techniques and opens fresh avenues for shark deterrents. Researchers still hope that with more research, L.E.D. lights could be essential in lowering shark-human interactions, therefore ensuring the oceans are safer for sharks and humans alike.
