SHARK MITIGATION SCIENCE
Accessible Research, Safer Waters
If all else fails and a shark bite occurs, injury reduction aims to reduce injuries and hopefully save a life. Injury reduction methods are generally shark-bite proof wetsuit materials. Historically, shark-proof suits have been heavy and impractical for uses such as surfing and swimming. However, recent technological advances have seen that these materials are now made from strong but lightweight fibres, similar to that of Dyneema sailing rope or bulletproof vest material.
Blood loss is the leading cause of shark-bite-related fatalities, therefore, a bite-resistant wetsuit material will theoretically reduce blood loss and potentially reduce life-threatening injuries. This type of mitigation is usually implemented by an individual, rather than by councils or governments.
Injury reduction
The research
This study assesses the ability of Kevlar material to reduce damage from blacktip reef shark bites. Sharks were encouraged to bite bait-filled Kevlar pouches and normal neoprene pouches as a control. Punctures from shark bites were significantly smaller on the Kevlar pouches compared to normal neoprene (3.64 ± 0.26 mm vs. 5.88 ± 0.29 mm). There were also fewer punctures on the Kevlar material compared to normal neoprene (14.92 ± 3.16 vs. 74.1 ± 12.44).
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*This study also assesses an electric deterrent. Results are outlined in the Electric mitigation section of this website.
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Thiele, M., Mourier, J., Papastamatiou, Y., Ballesta, L., Chateauminois, E. and Huveneers, C., 2020. Response of blacktip reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus to shark bite mitigation products. Scientific reports, 10(1), p.3563.
This study proposes a novel fibre-reinforced material that was created by integrating Kevlar and elastic fibres. This material is intended to withstand shark bites. Uni-axial testing using replica shark teeth determined that the material successfully limited tooth penetration to a depth where damage to major arteries is unlikely to occur.
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Fiedler, T. and Verstegen, T., 2020. Fibre-Reinforced Composite for Protection against Shark Bites. Materials, 13(22), p.5065.
This study assesses the ability of the SharkStop and ActionTX (shark-bite-resistant materials) to reduce damage from shark bites and compares them to normal neoprene. Nine fabric variations were tested using laboratory-based puncture and laceration tests, and field-based trials on white sharks Carcharodon carcharias. SharkStop and ActionTX fabrics were more resistant to puncture, laceration, and bites from white sharks compared with normal neoprene.
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Whitmarsh, S.K., Amin, D.B., Costi, J.J., Dennis, J.D. and Huveneers, C., 2019. Effectiveness of novel fabrics to resist punctures and lacerations from white shark (Carcharodon carcharias): Implications to reduce injuries from shark bites. PloS one, 14(11), p.e0224432.