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.

Experiments show that illuminating the underside of a decoy seal reduces attacks by great white sharks, revealing a possible strategy to protect surfers and swimmers