1 Million Subscribers Connected: Iridium Helps Prevent Shark Attacks While Protecting Local Ecosystems

To celebrate reaching one million active subscribers, Iridium will be featuring the success stories of our customers in the range of markets we serve: land, maritime, aviation, IoT, and government. Experience their stories and see the growing impact Iridium has had on a personal, organizational, and global level.

By collecting real-time data from buoys equipped with Iridium® transceivers, Marine Instruments technology helps to keep beachgoers safe in shark-infested areas of the Indian Ocean. Previous anti-shark buoys have deployed mesh nets when a shark appears, but nets are not selective and often end up hurting sea turtles and other protected wildlife.

To create a more efficient and environmental solution, Marine Instruments loaded buoys with shark bait. When a shark takes the bait, the buoy immediately communicates its position via the Iridium satellite network, and environmentalists capture the shark and humanely transport it away from the shore. SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) lines of buoys along the Australian coast have been credited with greatly reducing shark attacks while also providing scientists with key information about shark behavior. This innovative use of IoT technology protects the tourism industry, marine ecosystems, and human lives, all at the same time.

Watch Marine Instruments general manager Gabriel Gómez explain how Iridium helped Marine Instruments to reduce shark attacks more efficiently and environmentally.

Do you have a story about how Iridium technology has improved your safety, your quality of life, or your business operations? Select “Have a Story” here and share with us how Iridium keeps you connected. You may be featured in our “1 Million Subscribers Connected” campaign.