Lutcavage et al., 1997:

"Artificial lighting on nesting beaches is detrimental to sea turtles because it disrupts critical behaviours, including nest-site choice and the nocturnal sea-finding behaviour of both hatchlings and nesting females. There is both associative and direct experimental evidence showing that artificial lighting on beaches deters sea turtles from nesting¹⁸. Reduced nesting on lighted beaches appears to be the result of fewer attempts at emerging onto the beach. Nesting that does occur on or near lighted beaches can produce high hatchling mortality. Hatchlings move towards artificial light sources rather than the sea, and succumb to exhaustion, dehydration, and predation ^14,19-22. Hatchling mortality from artificial lighting is difficult to detect and is generally underestimated. Effects of lighting vary with the lunar cycle and are greatest during the the new moon period ²². As a general rule, any artificial light source that is visible from the nesting beach may disorient sea turtles.

Many options exist for managing light near nesting beaches. Light sources can be minimised in number and wattage, shielded, redirected, lowered, recessed, or repositioned behind shielding objects so that light from the source does not reach the beach. Installation of timers and motion-detector switches will ensure that lighting is on only when needed. Interior lighting can be reduced by moving lamps away from windows, drawing blinds after dark, and tinting windows.

Light sources that emit comparatively low levels of short-wavelength (blue and green) light affect both hatchlings and nesting adults less than sources emitting higher levels of short-wavelength light^18,23. For this reason, low-pressure sodium vapour luminaries (a monochromatic yellow source) make good substitutes for more disruptive lighting²⁴. Yellow-tinted incandescent "bug light" bulbs are another appropriate substitute where lighting problems have been only partially solved by other means."

---

Citation and/or URL

Lutcavage, M. E., Plotkin, P., Witherington, B., and Lutz, P. L. 1997, Human Impacts on Sea Turtle Survival. Pp. 387-409. In: Lutz, P. L. and Musick, J. A. [Eds.]. The Biology of Sea Turtles. CRC Press. Boca Raton, New York, London, Tokyo. 432 pp.

Spatial Coverage

International 

Temporal Coverage

Greater than 200 years 

Update Frequency

Not applicable 

Other Information

None