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From magnets to 'invisibility' wetsuits, scientists have tried many tactics to help swimmers evade the potentially deadly jaws of sharks.

Now, an inventor has developed a wearable device that emits the sounds of killer whales, which are known to attack sharks.

The 'SharkStopper Personal Shark Repellent' device is designed to be attached to a surfer's ankle and has been shown to repel sharks in waters filled with bait.

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You won't need a bigger boat: An inventor from Long Island, New York, has developed a wearable device for surfers and swimmers that emits the sounds of killer whales - known to attack sharks - to scare off the toothy predators, including great white, hammerhead, tiger and lemon sharks

It is thought the sound will scare off sharks including great white, bull, tiger, hammerhead, blacktip, lemon, nurse, sand and Caribbean reef.

Brian Wynne, 52, from Long Island, New York, is raising funds for his SharkStopper on crowd funding site Kickstarter, has spent 10 years developing the product.

He worked with marine biologists and shark experts to test it on different species and in various locations, including in 'extreme circumstances' when the water was filled with blood and other bait to tempt sharks.

The predators came within five feet (1.5 metres) of the device but turned back at this point when they heard the noisy device, Mr Wynne claims.

Thh inventor worked with marine biologists to find a frequency to repel sharks (illustrated). He explained that the sound includes that of a pod of orcas and scares sharks either because they are wary of the killer whales, or they simply don't want to deal with the disturbance the device creates

New SharkStopper promises to reduce number of shark attacks

While the deterrent may be large, the device itself is small, measuring four inches (10cm) long and two inches (5cm) wide, weighing just 0.3lbs (140g), which is roughly the weight of a smartphone.

It is powered by a rechargeable battery and lasts for around six to seven hours.

Mr Wynne said he came up with the idea for the SharkStopper when his mother told him about the constant shark attacks in Volusia County, Florida, where she had moved to from New York.

'Volusia County Florida is the shark attack capital of the world. This title is for bites, not fatalities,' he said.

'After hearing about these repeated attacks in Florida, I investigated sound as a possible deterrent to sharks.

'It took a couple of years and multiple locations with different species of sharks until I was convinced that I found the right sound that would repel sharks.'

Mr Wynne talked to surfers and was surprised to find that many of them have seen sharks in the water.

'Surfers are an amazing group, they know the dangers of the sport - like rip currents, rogue waves and sharks - yet they continue to go out and enjoy the sport they love,' he said. 

The device has been tested in shark hotspots including the Bahamas, Mexico, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New York on great whites (pictured left) tiger and sand tiger sharks (pictured right) which are among the species responsible for the most attacks on humans

While the deterrent may be large, the device itself is small, measuring four inches (10cm) long and two inches (5cm) wide, weighing just 0.3lbs (140g) so it can be worn on a surfer's ankle (pictured)

'We set out at the beginning to investigate sound as a possible shark repellent.

'We always believed sound can attract sharks but it must also repel them because sharks pick up the sounds of splashing and the sounds of injured prey.

'Sharks have an inner ear made up of three semicircular canals. Inside each canal are four sensory areas which are responsible for both balance and sound perception.

'Sharks hear sounds with frequencies ranging from 10Hz to 1KHz, and are especially responsive to sounds 500Hz or lower.

'We found a particular frequency range and modulation that was effective against many species of sharks.'

He explained that the sound includes that of a pod of killer whales and scares sharks either because they are scared of the predators, or they simply don't want to deal with the disturbance the device creates.

The device is available to pre-order on Kickstarter for $225 (£139) with an estimated delivery date of January.

Sharks hear sounds with frequencies ranging from 10Hz to 1KHz, and are especially responsive to sounds 500Hz or lower. In tests, the inventor found that sharks will not come within five feet of the noisy device, which if worn by swimmers, could protect them in the water (illustrated)

SHARKS CAN BE SHY: 'FEARSOME' PREDATORS CAN BE MELLOW TOO 

Sharks may have a fearsome reputation, but they can also be solitary, preferring to remain in the background, according to new research.

UK scientists claim they have shown that the notorious predators have personality traits that determines how they behave in groups.

A University of Exeter team tested for social personality by recording the interactions of groups of juvenile small spotted catsharks in captivity under three different habitat types.

The species of shark are found throughout the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean and usually form mixed-sexed social groups driven by individual familiarity.

Ten groups of sharks were monitored in large tanks containing three habitats which differed in their level of structural complexity.

A University of Exeter team tested for social personality by recording the interactions of groups of juvenile small spotted catsharks (pictured) in captivity under three different habitat types

'We found that even though the sizes of the groups forming changed, socially well-connected individuals remained well-connected under each new habitat,' said Dr David Jacoby, a behavioural ecologist now at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), London.

'In other words, their social network positions were repeated through time and across different habitats.

'These results were driven by different social preferences that appeared to reflect different strategies for staying safe. '

The study found that well-connected sharks formed groups, while less social individuals tended to camouflage alone, matching their skin colour with the colour of the gravel at the bottom of the tank.

'In the wild these small juveniles can make easy prey items for larger fish, so different anti-predator strategies are likely to have evolved,' said Professor Darren Croft, of the Centre for Research into Animal Behaviour at Exeter.