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Old 07-18-2013, 08:44 AM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Default Anti-Shark Wetsuits - The Pattern Of Attack


https://radiator.net/


Some sharks may be genetically predisposed to poorly integrate, be intimidated by or otherwise ignore certain patterns the folks at the Australian firm Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS) have concluded. SAMS is a collaborative effort between University of Western Australia shark researchers, Professors Shaun Collin and Nathan Hart among others. How does it work? This is some of what they have to say about that on their website:

"Many years of anecdotal evidence suggests that a stripe pattern acts as a deterrent or repellent to sharks - but we now know there’s more to the story.

SAMS has applied scientific principles to this theory to discover that very specific contrasting, colours, shapes and dimensions work together for maximum effect. If you look closely, the stripes contain intricate detailing."





"Sharks actually have very good eyesight but they see colours and shapes quite differently to the way humans perceive them. Sharks see in black and white, but their perception of shading is very acute and impacted by the ‘reflective spectrum’ in the water (how bands of colour react to light).

Scientists note the distinctive vivid coloration of many fish species, including the striped pilotfish which spends it's life living alongside predatory sharks.

The Diverter™ pattern is designed to overtly present the wearer as unlike any shark prey, or even as an unpalatable or dangerous food option. At the very least this will provide the user with increased protection, but it could also provide the time needed to evacuate the area if a shark is in range."
http://www.sharkmitigation.com/






Some of the wetsuits scheduled to be released by Radiator.net Wetsuits the current licensee for this concept this September. These wetsuits are listed on their website at $AU429 to $AU 495 with the surfboard camo skin going for about $AU 79. Current exchange, $AU 1.00 = $USD 0.92 for about an 8% discount for US currency purchases.


"Mens Shark Deterrent Surf Wetsuit"


"elude mid™
Best suited for snorkelling & shallow to mid depth diving"


The "elude dark™ - Best suited for mid to deep depth diving"

Images from: https://radiator.net/sams/

Further comments about the concept:

"- The Elude suit's blue pattern can't be seen by the shark because the fish are colour blind
- The pattern uses disruptive coloration and shaping, which is difficult for a shark to see and also blends in with background colours
- The stripes on the Diverter suit mimic the colours of poisonous fish to warn the sharks off
- According to SAMS, years of anecdotal evidence suggests that a stripe pattern acts as a deterrent or repellent to sharks the scientists found that very specific contrasting colours, shapes and dimensions work together for maximum effect"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...#ixzz2ZPI3fCRH "


SAMS has a caution to users on their website ending with:

"All sharks are dangerous and unpredictable creatures. It is impossible for SAMS to guarantee that 100% of sharks will be deterred under all circumstances with the SAMS technology. Water based activities in the presence of sharks is inherently dangerous and is not recommended therefore we recommend that if a shark is sighted that the user leaves the water. "



In closing, time will tell how effective this concept is in avoiding negative shark interactions. In the meantime have a care and be sure to use a more long standing but widely available shark deterrent, knowledge tempered by good common sense.

.
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Last edited by ricki; 07-18-2013 at 11:00 AM.
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Old 07-18-2013, 05:08 PM
nomorebikinis nomorebikinis is offline
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👍Briljant. This was 1st page news over here (europe)
Why didn t someone came up with this idea earlier? 😯

Couldn t find the report on the www.scam website. I wonder if it was tested for only the type of sharks in australia or also the types in the caraibian. Are all type of sharks colourblind? What i find amazing is that sight wins from smell for this predator....
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:25 PM
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It is interesting this is that large a news item. It would be good to see more testing and in varied areas to better understand general effectiveness. One of the folks at SAMS, Prof. Hart did a study in 2011, which concluded:

" A micro-spectrophotometry study of 17 species of shark found 10 had only rod photoreceptors and no cone cells in their retinas giving them good night vision while making them colorblind. The remaining seven species had in addition to rods a single type of cone photoreceptor sensitive to green and, seeing only in shades of grey and green, are believed to be effectively colorblind. The study indicates that an object's contrast against the background, rather than colour, may be more important for object detection."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark

Quote:
Originally Posted by nomorebikinis View Post
👍Briljant. This was 1st page news over here (europe)
Why didn t someone came up with this idea earlier? 😯

Couldn t find the report on the www.scam website. I wonder if it was tested for only the type of sharks in australia or also the types in the caraibian. Are all type of sharks colourblind? What i find amazing is that sight wins from smell for this predator....
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Last edited by ricki; 07-18-2013 at 07:48 PM.
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Old 07-18-2013, 10:02 PM
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A childhood hero of mine, Dr. Walter Stark apparently did extensive experimentation with impact of striped suits on shark interactions. Dr. Stark along with Dr. Robert Schroeder, both RSMAS researchers back in the day, authored "Something Rich And Strange." It described reef research and adventures throughout the Caribbean a hot topic for me in my teens.



Anyway, more about Dr. Stark's experiences and derivation of patterned suits below:

"Sharks, Snakes and Experts

Walter Starck

For some reason Gray Reef Sharks in the central Pacific are especially aggressive and a number of divers have been attacked. After several unpleasant experiences there in the early 70's I was inspired to come up with something which might deter them. This was the banded wetsuit.

The banded wetsuit as an anti-shark device achieved some notoriety and became a subject of controversy as to its effectiveness. The story affords some interesting insights into the behavior of both sharks and humans. It begins in Panama where Dr. Ira Rubinoff of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute told me how predatory Caribbean reef fishes held in large tanks with sea snakes from the Pacific would try to eat the venomous snakes and frequently die as a result. Pacific reef fishes, however, wouldn't bother the snakes. There are no sea snakes in the Caribbean so it appeared that fishes normally living together with the snakes have learned to leave them alone.

Later in the western Pacific I noticed that the majority of sea snake species had banded color patterns. I knew that banded patterns were employed as warning coloration in various venomous creatures thus the idea of a banded pattern to warn off sharks was born. I first tried it in the Coral Sea on Gray Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos). They exhibited notable reticence to approach me nearly as close when wearing the banded suit. Subsequently I used the banded suit for extensive diving at Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, the Solomons, New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef."

Continued at:
http://www.goldendolphin.com/WASdisk...it/wetsuit.htm
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