Light Pollution and Marine Animal Welfare

Artificial light at night disrupts marine turtle navigation, seabird orientation, and zooplankton vertical migration, with welfare consequences across marine ecosystems.

Key Facts

Sea turtle hatchlings are attracted to artificial light and move away from the sea rather than toward it
Seabirds are attracted to and disorientated by artificial light from offshore platforms
Zooplankton vertical migration is disrupted by artificial light reducing food web productivity
Coral polyp spawning synchronised by moonlight is disrupted by artificial coastal lighting
Light pollution affects approximately 23% of the global ocean surface

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle hatchlings disoriented by coastal lighting wander inland where they die from dehydration and predation. Seabirds attracted to offshore platforms become exhausted circling lights and collide with structures. Disruption of zooplankton vertical migration reduces the food available for all planktivorous fish with cascading welfare effects. Coral spawning failures from artificial light disruption reduce reef recovery capacity. The scale of light pollution impacts on marine ecosystems represents a welfare harm affecting billions of individuals from hatchlings to adult migrants.

What You Can Do

Support beach lighting restrictions during sea turtle nesting season
Advocate for light pollution management near marine turtle nesting beaches
Choose dark-sky friendly lighting in coastal homes and developments
Donate to sea turtle nesting beach monitoring programs
Support offshore platform lighting reduction protocols to reduce seabird mortality