CORONA DEL MAR - There’s a growing threat along Southern California’s coastline, and officials want to arm themselves with advanced technology that could save lives.

It’s not a threat of a nuclear strike that officials gathered to discuss or an attempt to get early warning for earthquakes that can rattle the region.
No, this threat comes in a more sharp-toothed form and lurks below the water’s surface.

“The shark population now seems to be growing and the threat it poses to surfers, to people enjoying the beach, will be expanding as the shark population expands, especially as they get older,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, during a press conference.

Rohrabacher was there to voice his support for a pilot project that would test high-tech equipment designed to alert lifeguards when a shark is in an area used by swimmers and surfers.

An Australian company called Shark Mitigation Systems created the “Clever Buoy,” currently being used in Western Australia where officials, residents and tourists are grappling with the influx of sharks.

The plan would be to install six buoys to “blanket” a stretch off the coast in Corona del Mar from the rocks to the jetty, creating a virtual barrier, which would wire the information to lifeguards within four seconds of a shark coming into the beam.

The recognition software can tell the difference between the way a shark swims and how a dolphin swims. It recognizes when a sea creature is greater than 6 feet long, and uses an algorithm to determine if its patterns and behaviors are similar to that of a great white.

Lifeguards are notified by text message and can follow up by heading out to get a closer look to determine if they need to shut down a beach.

Rohrabacher said funding sources have yet to be determined, but he’s hoping government agencies — federal, state and local — will help pay for a pilot program off Corona del Mar. The hope would be to expand to heavily populated areas and eventually up and down the California coast, according to the Orange County Register.

Story Date: September 27, 2017