Review Sharks senses and shark repellents Nathan S. HART and Shaun P. COLLIN School of Animal Biology and the Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Australia Correspondence: Nathan Hart, School of Animal Biology (M317) and the Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth WA6009, Australia Email:
[email protected] Running title: Sharks senses and shark repellents This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12095. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. 1 Abstract Despite over 70 years of research on shark repellents, few practical and reliable solutions to prevent shark attacks on humans or reduce shark bycatch and depredation in commercial fisheries have been developed. In large part, this deficiency stems from a lack of fundamental knowledge of the sensory cues that drive predatory behavior in sharks. However, the widespread use of shark repellents is also hampered by the physical constraints and technical or logistical difficulties of deploying substances or devices in an open-water marine environment to prevent an unpredictable interaction with a complex animal. Here, we summarise the key attributes of the various sensory systems of sharks and highlight residual knowledge gaps that are relevant to the development of effective shark repellents. We also review the most recent advances in shark repellent technology within the broader historical context of research on shark repellents and shark sensory systems.