1:30min
By Rhiannon Riches
Assistant Editor
Vision scientist Professor Shaun Collin today discussed the effectiveness of shark deterrent devices, following a fatal shark attack near Esperance in Western Australia.
A teenage surfer died after being mauled by a shark on Monday. It is believed the shark was a great white but its size is not yet known.
Professor Collin spoke to the media at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre at The University of Western Australia about the effectiveness of shark deterrent devices, some of which have not undergone vigorous testing, in preventing shark attacks. He also explained the behaviour of great white sharks and their migratory patterns.
He will be presented with the 2016 H Barry Collin Research Medal, named in honour of his father, at Southern Regional Congress on 27 May. After receiving the medal, Professor Collin will deliver his lecture, ‘Comparative vision research: the evolution of colour vision in ancient predators’.
Professor Collin is a Winthrop Professor at The University of Western Australia and a Western Australian Premier’s Research Fellow, and the author of more than 250 international scientific publications on sensory systems of primarily aquatic vertebrates.
To attend Professor Collin’s lecture, register for SRC.