LIGHT POLLUTION AND THE ECOSYSTEM What happens to the birds and the turtles (especially the little ones).

Examples of natural phenomena that generate visible light: lightning

Examples of natural phenomena that generate visible light: Northern lights

Examples of natural phenomena (e. g Examples of natural phenomena (e.g., lightning) that generate visible light: Forest fires

A few examples of human made visible light: fireplace

A few examples of human made visible light: incandescent light bulb

A few examples of human made visible light: the Sodium lamp (Low pressure) Sodium lamps are widely used on most of worlds asphalt-paved roads and intersections.

(Scarier than Hitchcock, mind you!) Case Study #1: The Birds. (Scarier than Hitchcock, mind you!)

Old story. In the past people used flame to capture birds for food. Seabirds have been reported to have been captured by the beam of lighthouses.

What actually happens. Artificial lights can trap migratory birds by making them lose sight of the horizon and circle within the cone of light endlessly. They then can die from exhaustion or collision with the light source.

Songbirds. It can extend the day for some species of songbirds, making them more susceptible to predators as they sing out their location. Or it can cause them to breed too early since they associate breeding with longer days.

And seabirds It can attract seabirds away from their normal feeding grounds, possibly because these birds feed on bioluminescent sea animals and are cued in to low levels of light.

Case study #2: Sea turtles. (Before they get the chance to become Teenage Ninjas!)

The Problem. Nesting turtles once had no trouble finding a quiet, dark beach on which to nest, but now they must compete with tourists, businesses and hotels for use of sandy beaches.

Hatchlings go home! Hatchlings have an innate instinct that leads them in the brightest direction, which is normally moonlight reflecting off of the beach. Lighting near the shore can cause hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland, where they often die of dehydration or predation.

The solution! Turn off lights visible on nesting beaches of use special fixtures to shield the lights from the beach.

In the right light! Use low pressure sodium-vapor lighting (LPS) instead of normal lights. Use Turtle Safe Lighting – these red lights emit a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum, which is less intrusive to nesting sea turtles.

Call for help! Close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover windows visible from the beach. If disoriented hatchlings are found away from the sea notify the authorities.

Light pollution: satellite view of Europe at night! So, what is light pollution?

An Australian website on the affect of light pollution on sea-turtles Source: www.acresaustralia.com.au/01/the-effects-of-artificial-lighting -on-marine-turtles/

How is light pollution being measured? There are many commercially available instruments to measure light pollution, one is called the Sky Quality Meter (SQM) Used in many parts of the world! Several in Greece Cost: 100 Euro (or more) depending on model

Conclusions Light pollution is an important consideration because it is affecting the ecosystem, for example, birds and turtles. From the results presented here and from database searches, light pollution is a key issue that must be addressed in many parts of Europe (including Greece).

What You Can Do Presents "Help Protect Wildlife" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooLYWwA43SE

Thanks! Information and pictures courtesy of : Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission www.myfwc.com The Sea Turtle Conservancy www.conserveturtles.org