Sharks are 'scared' of magnets
Magnets could be used to fend off dangerous sharks which are repelled by them, scientists claim.
Tests have found that sharks react violently to the magnets and as a result rapidly turn away from them and swim off.
Researchers at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, say the response is the result of the acute sensing organs in the sharks known as ampullae of Lorenzini that detects electro-magnetic fields.
It is hoped the research will help to stop sharks from becoming caught in barramundi nets which they frequently damage.
"The sharks we tested soon learned the locations of the magnets and spent less time in those areas," said senior lecturer in the School of Marine and Tropical Biology at JCU, Jamie Seymour.
"They react violently to the magnets, rapidly turning and swinging away from them."
The tank tests involved six species of sharks and rays: grey reef sharks, hammerheads, sharp-nosed sharks, blacktip sharks, the vulnerable sawfish and the critically endangered spear tooth shark.
But the team do not think the technology could be used to protect divers and surfers from shark attacks.
"While we don’t believe the magnets would be sufficient to effectively prevent shark attacks on humans, we need to confirm if it’s logistically possible to use such magnets in an offshore fishery," said zoology honours student Damian Rigg.
"Our trials to date show there are different levels of avoidance between shark species and the magnets.
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