Flinders University researchers develop wetsuit material more resistant to shark bites
This fabric could be added to wetsuits to stop blood loss from a shark attack. Naturally, the researchers tested it with actual sharks – and got it on video.
SA News
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Flinders University researchers are one step closer to finding a wetsuit that can reduce blood loss caused by shark bites — the leading cause of death in shark attacks.
A trial tested two types of protective fabrics against widely used wetsuit material on a board, allowing White Sharks to bite into them in the ocean.
The tests included 10 variants of two different fabrics using laceration and other laboratory tests as well as field-based trial involving White Sharks ranging 3-4m.
Flinders University Associate Professor Charlie Huveneers, from the Southern Shark Ecology Group, said new technological advances in fabric have allowed the development of lightweight alternatives that can be incorporated on to traditional wetsuits.
“We tested the fabric on White Sharks because it is the species responsible for the most fatalities from shark bites,” Associate Prof. Huveneers said.
“We found that the new fabrics were more resistant to puncture, laceration, and bites from White Sharks than standard neoprene (wetsuit material).”
“More force was required to puncture the new fabrics compared to control fabrics (laboratory-based tests), and cuts made to the new fabrics were smaller and shallower than those on standard neoprene from both types of test, i.e. laboratory and field tests.”
Associate Prof. Huveneers said the aim of the study was to assess the ability of new fabrics incorporated into standard wetsuit material to reduce injuries from shark bites.
The promising results showed the new fabric tested may provide an element of protection against shark bites and could be used as part of a shark bite mitigation, he said.
The results are positive in reducing blood loss but Associate Prof. Huveneers said more testing needs to be done.
“Although these fabrics may reduce blood loss resulting from a shark bite, further research is needed to measure the magnitude of injury to human flesh.”
