Scientist aims to create more effective shark repellent
Marine biologist Ryan Kempster has noticed unusual behavior in shark embryos. Approaching an electric field near the eggs of the bamboo shark species, the young immediately stopped the movement of their gills.
Specializing in the sensory biology of these animals, the scientist believes this is a survival strategy that pups use to prey on predators. Now, Kempster is considering using this feature to build a repellent that can ward off sharks without hurting them.
What leads Kempster to believe this is possible is the fact that adult specimens also have sensors used to detect magnetic fields, but with the difference that at this stage of life this natural resource is used to search for prey. The perception of electric fields is possible with the help of small pores present in the animal's skin.
Sharks may develop resistance to repellents
In an interview with io9, Kemptser explained that "there are already a variety of electric and non-lethal shark repellents, but the proven effectiveness of science is still very limited." Thus, the researcher has been studying the sensory systems of several species of sharks to determine if these beings change throughout life the way they feel and react to an electrical predator stimulus.
The study published in the PLOS platform indicates not only that embryos stop breathing and moving when they feel the presence of a predator, but also that they can remember previously felt stimuli and reduce their reactions to them when they encounter them again.
As a result, sharks can become resistant to repellent devices if the signal emitted by these gadgets does not change over time. This is definitely a situation that no surfer wants.
