Light Pollution and Sea Turtles Essay - 1154 Words

Light pollution has become a problem for sea turtle hatchlings along developed coastlines. The hatchlings have a natural instinct to move to the brightest direction which on a naturally lit beach is the night sky over the ocean. However, the artificial light that is found on developed coastlines, disorients sea turtle hatchlings and as a result they move towards this light instead of the ocean. According to an article on conserveturtles.org, only 1 in 1000 sea turtle hatchlings survive to maturity therefore changing artificial lighting practices on beaches would help the sea turtle population. The implementation and enforcement of artificial light ordinances for coastal homeowners would be a solution to the effects of light pollution†¦show more content†¦On a darkened beach with no light pollution this brightened area is the night sky over the ocean. When artificial light is excessive in a nesting beach, the baby turtles do not always move towards the surf. Instead the y move inland, away from the ocean, where they soon die since they are not land animals. A simple solution to the light pollution problem would be to simply turn off the lights causing the excessive lighting. Property owners could evaluate their lighting needs to see how much light is actually necessary at night. For instance, if the property is a beachfront property at a turtle nesting beach, the property owner could reduce the amount of artificial light that is used at night during the sea turtle nesting season. Not only would this reduce the fatality of hatchlings, but this action would reduce the amount of energy used in total by the property owner. This would also result in financial savings for the property owner, touching on the economic factor of this issue. Another solution would be to not use decorative lighting. This is lighting that is used to display landscaping. Again, the property owner would evaluate the need for this decorative lighting and could not use it d uring the sea turtle nesting season. Turtle hatchlings would increase in their survival rates and energy use would decrease. The main objection to these solutions is human safety. If the lights are turned off,Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Light Pollution On Humans And The World1307 Words   |  6 PagesWhen someone thinks of pollution, they most likely think of toxins and contamination in bodies of water and in the air. While these familiar types of pollution are large problems, there is a lesser known variety of pollution involving excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive light that is just as large of an issue. This variety of pollution is called light pollution or photo pollution. The effects of light pollution on humans and the world’s various ecosystems are various and need to be realized. 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