Shark-bite resistant wetsuit tested

There were 27 shark attacks in Australian waters last year, according to data compiled by Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. — AFP

RESEARCHERS at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia have received government funding to test a new neoprene -- a synthetic rubber commonly used in wetsuits -- against the force of a bite from several species, including the great white shark.

The new material -- provided by manufacturers the university declined to identify -- aims to reduce cuts and punctures from a shark attack, thus lessening blood loss for victims.