Great White's fooled by LED stripes

Brian G Turner

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Bands of LED lights that break up a silhouette appears to be an effective way to prevent Great White shark attacks:


These researchers previously discovered that Great Whites place a high reliance on their eyes to locate prey, lunge upwards to take potential food such as a seal in their jaws.

In related studies, researchers have found that Great Whites are likely completely color blind with poor visual acuity, compensated by their strong ability to detect a silhouette. But the shark's poor vision means they can't distinguish the silhouette of a surfboard or a human in the water from a seal, leading Great Whites to pose a danger to people.

The researchers took inspiration from juvenile plainfin midshipman fish which have photophores on its underside that produce light and disrupt the shape of its silhouette.
 

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