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The ocean is an alluring place, full of mystery and wonder. For many people it is their favorite place to be, whether as swimmers, surfers, or divers.
Now, recent research from Australia that was published in Wildlife Research, has brought good news for ocean-lovers. Bite-resistance wetsuits could help keep swimmers, divers, and surfers out of harm’s way.
Not as Dangerous as They Seem
Though the idea of a shark attack sounds very terrorfying, the truth is that they are very, very rare. The Guardian reported that only 2.8 people on average are killed in shark attacks annually and only 20 people have been injured in attacks over the last 10 years. Meaning, the chances of being harmed by a shark is very low.
Still, sharks, especially great white and tiger sharks, on which the study was focused, have very sharp and serrated teeth that can do quite a bit of damage and can cause hemorrhaging, blood loss, lacerations and punctures.
Although governments often focus on area-based protections, currently there has also been a focus on personal mitigation measures, including bite-resistant wetsuits, according to a press release from Flinders University in Adelaide, Therefore, it seemed prudent to scientifically test just how effective these wetsuits actually are.
Bait and Switch
In order to test the effectiveness of these wetsuits, reported The Guardian, the researchers covered a foam board in four different bite-resistant wetsuit materials. The type of foam they used mimics the density and texture of human flesh, thus giving them a good estimation of what a shark bite may do to a human.
They then attracted sharks using local fish as bait, and when the shark tried to eat the bait, they switched the bait with the board, getting a measure of the shark’s bite. In all they measured 84 white shark bites and 68 tiger shark bites.
What they found was that, though there were still likely to be some crushing and internal injuries from a shark bite, the bite-resistant material did prevent the shark teeth from penetrating to the skin.
“While these suits don’t eliminate all the risk (e.g. internal injuries may still occur), our results indicate that they can reduce blood loss and trauma from major lacerations and punctures, potentially saving lives,” Professor Charlie Huveneers from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development told Flinders University.
The importance of this study is not only about personal protection, but, interestingly enough, about the role of personal protection in saving sharks. Until now, one of the main tools governments have used to prevent shark attacks has been lethal to the sharks. The use of personal protection signals a growing trend moving towards more shark-friendly methods that protect both humans and sharks.
So, for all those ocean-lovers, remember that sharks rarely attack, but just to be safe, it may be a good idea to invest in a bite-resistant wetsuit.
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