Bethany Hamilton is an American professional surfer, author and motivational speaker. Discover more about Bethany Hamilton's shark attack that claimed her left arm.

Every day, Cole Taschman heads out to Bathtub Beach in Stuart, Florida. The quiet reef on the Atlantic Coast got its name from the “bathtub effect” which breaks up waves, creates a shallow pool at low tide and reduces erosion. For Cole and the Taschman family, who consider the beach their backyard, it is known for something else.

New research has found that using lights on the bottom side of a surfboard or kayak could put great white sharks off

A study suggests that wrapping a surfboard in very bright lights — like aquatic Christmas trees — could make the surfer less interesting to great white sharks.

They are responsible for the majority of all shark attacks, and researchers were hoping to figure out why, and use it against them. The results of that study were published in the journal Current Biology.

Reports of shark attacks on surfers appear in the media quite regularly. Researchers have decided to tackle the issue. Scientists from Macquarie University in New South Wales have developed a simple but effective way to deter predators.