The Sharkbite Threat to the TAT-8 Cable System.

Since the onset of the shark attacks on the OPTICAN-I SL cable system, the following areas of study have been pursued with regard to this phenomenon: 1) Generation of a database of shark attacks on undersea cable systems; 2) Determination of the cause of the attacks; 3) Characterization of the distribution of sharks in the oceans in the vicinity of proposed cable routes; 4) Design of a fishbite-protected SL cable (FBP) capable of preserving the integrity of the polyethylene insulation in the face of shark attacks. This report will first present a summary of the results of these activities. Based upon these results, an assessment of the risk posed from sharkbite to the various sections of the TAT-8 system is made. The system plan for protection against this risk is described.