A study by Australian researchers found that LED lighting affixed to the underside of a surfboard might be able to deter shark bites.

Great white sharks are the species responsible for most human shark-bite fatalities, and often attack their prey from underneath, lead researcher Laura Ryan said. This means that sometimes the sharks mistake a surfer's silhouette for the outline of a seal.

Seal-shaped decoys were strung with different configurations of LED lights and towed behind a boat to see which attracted the most attention. Brighter lights were better at deterring sharks, the research found, while vertical lights were less effective ...

Covering your surfboard in bright lights sounds like an open invitation to great white sharks, but research released Tuesday by Australian scientists found it might actually stave off attacks. Ryan and her fellow researchers showed that seal-shaped boards decked with bright horizontal lights were less likely to be attacked by great white sharks.

An Australian study indicates that a simple, relatively inexpensive light-based solution could reduce shark attacks on surfers.