Stemming the Tide of Light Pollution Encroaching into Marine Protected Areas

Many marine ecosystems are shaped by regimes of natural light guiding the behavior of their constituent species. As evidenced from terrestrial systems, the global introduction of nighttime lighting is likely influencing these behaviors, restructuring marine ecosystems, and compromising the services they provide. Yet the extent to which marine habitats are exposed to artificial light at night is unknown. We quantified nighttime artificial light across the world's network of marine protected areas (MPAs). Artificial light is widespread and increasing in a large percentage of MPAs. While increases are more common among MPAs associated with human activity, artificial light is encroaching into a large proportion of even those marine habitats protected with the strongest legislative designations. Given the current lack of statutory tools, we propose that allocating “Marine Dark Sky Park” status to MPAs will help incentivize responsible authorities to hold back the advance of artificial light.

• Publication year

  2016

• Venue

  Conservation Letters

• Publication date

  2016-05-01

• Fields of study

  Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1111/conl.12191
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• The Sky and Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of a Dark Sky Reserve Implementation in Alqueva

  2015cited by this paper
• Quantifying the erosion of natural darkness in the global protected area system

  2015cited by this paper
• Worldwide variations in artificial skyglow

  2015cited by this paper
• Night-time lighting alters the composition of marine epifaunal communities

  2015cited by this paper
• Temporal changes in artificial light exposure of marine turtle nesting areas

  2014cited by this paper
• The nature, extent, and ecological implications of marine light pollution

  2014cited by this paper
• Contrasting trends in light pollution across Europe based on satellite observed night time lights

  2014cited by this paper
• Artificial light puts ecosystem services of frugivorous bats at risk

  2014cited by this paper
• Balancing artificial light at night with turtle conservation? Coastal community engagement with light-glow reduction

  2014cited by this paper
• World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

  2013cited by this paper
• Potential effects of artificial light associated with anthropogenic infrastructure on the abundance and foraging behaviour of estuary‐associated fishes

  2013cited by this paper
• Can satellite-based night lights be used for conservation? The case of nesting sea turtles in the Mediterranean

  2013cited by this paper
• Artificial light at night advances avian reproductive physiology

  2013cited by this paper
• Nature's nocturnal services: Light pollution as a non-recognised challenge for ecosystem services research and management

  2013cited by this paper
• Street lighting changes the composition of invertebrate communities

  2012cited by this paper
• REVIEW: Reducing the ecological consequences of night‐time light pollution: options and developments

  2012cited by this paper
• Coastal light pollution and marine turtles: assessing the magnitude of the problem

  2012cited by this paper
• Light-induced bird strikes on vessels in Southwest Greenland.

  2011cited by this paper
• Limiting the impact of light pollution on human health, environment and stellar visibility.

  2011cited by this paper
• Light pollution as a biodiversity threat.

  2010cited by this paper
• Development of a 2009 Stable Lights Product using DMSP-OLS data

  2010cited by this paper
• Effects of artificial illumination on the nocturnal foraging of waders

  2010cited by this paper
• Artificial night lighting affects dawn song, extra-pair siring success, and lay date in songbirds.

  2010cited by this paper
• Street lighting disturbs commuting bats.

  2009cited by this paper
• ZOOPLANKTON DIEL VERTICAL MIGRATION — A REVIEW OF PROXIMATE CONTROL

  2009cited by this paper
• A global inventory of coral reef stressors based on satellite observed nighttime lights

  2008cited by this paper
• Ecological light pollution

  2004cited by this paper
• Use of nighttime visible images to detect Japanese common squid Todarodes pacificus fishing areas and potential migration routes in the Sea of Japan

  2004cited by this paper
• A global analysis of human settlement in coastal zones

  2003cited by this paper
• Marine reserves have rapid and lasting effects

  2002cited by this paper
• Urban light pollution alters the diel vertical migration of Daphnia

  2000cited by this paper
• Marine Animal Behaviour In Relation To Lunar Phase

  1999influential reference
• Role of light intensity and spectral quality in coral settlement: implications for depth-dependent settlement?

  1998cited by this paper
• Seasonality and lunar periodicity in the reproduction of Pocilloporid corals

  1996influential reference
• Influences of artificial lighting on the seaward orientation of hatchling loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta

  1991cited by this paper
• Impact of Outdoor Lighting on Moths

  1991cited by this paper
• Impact of outdoor lighting on moths: an assessment

  1988cited by this paper
• Light as an ecological factor in the dispersal and settlement of larvae of marine bottom invertebrates

  1964cited by this paper
• Marine Ecology Progress Series Mar Ecol Prog Ser

  year unknowncited by this paper

• Fatal Attraction: Light Pollution Creates an Ecological Trap for Wild Fish

  2026influential citation
• Artificial night lighting in the Mediterranean: Management priorities and constraints for sea turtle conservation.

  2026cites this paper
• Red light mitigates ALAN-induced memory impairment in the clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris

  2026cites this paper
• Optimising nocturnal mammal surveys in tropical forests: when red light is the key

  2025cites this paper
• Behavioural rhythms of two amphipod species Marinogammarus marinus and Gammarus pulex under increasing levels of light at night

  2025cites this paper
• Night lights versus conservation dreams: balancing human preferences with conservation goals in protected areas for sustainable nature-based noctourism

  2025cites this paper
• Artificial light at night during early development directly affects embryonic but not larval quality in a wild coral reef fish

  2025cites this paper
• Night lights from space: potential of SDGSAT‐1 for ecological applications

  2025cites this paper
• Response of peracarid assemblage (Crustacea: Malacostraca) to artificial light across different urban shallow habitats.

  2025cites this paper
• Characterization of the daily and circadian valve behavior of the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis

  2025cites this paper
• Sustainable Development Goals relighted: light pollution management as a novel lens to SDG achievement

  2025influential citation
• Impacts of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on coastal ecosystems: A study on the herbivore Ampithoe valida with focus on sex-dependent responses.

  2025cites this paper
• Trust, but verify: Reducing artificial light emissions and monitoring compliance

  2025cites this paper
• Environmental impact assessments of scientific fieldwork as a path to sustainability: A case study from the MOSAiC expedition

  2025cites this paper
• Assessing Light Pollution Exposure for the Most Important Sea Turtle Nesting Area in the Mediterranean Region

  2025cites this paper
• Evaluation of the light pollution in the nature reserves of China based on NPP/VIIRS nighttime light data

  2024cites this paper
• Assessment of Artificial Light at Night Across Geographical Features in the Sicilian Coastal Zone

  2024cites this paper
• Behavioural rhythms of two gammarid species Echinogammarus marinus and Gammarus pulex under increasing levels of light at night

  2024cites this paper
• Light traps as an exploratory tool in light pollution studies: Assessment of vulnerable species and their migratory patterns

  2024influential citation
• Risk assessment of persistent exposure to artificial light at night revealed altered behavior and metabolic patterns of marine nocturnal shellfish

  2024cites this paper
• Light Pollution and Sea Turtles Nest-Site Selection. Is it Possible a Practical Management of the Problem?

  2023cites this paper
• Artificial light at night impacts night-time activity but not day-time behaviour in a diurnal coral reef fish

  2023cites this paper
• Embryonic exposure to artificial light at night impairs learning abilities and their covariance with behavioural traits in teleost fish

  2023cites this paper
• Artificial light at night: a global disruptor of the night-time environment

  2023cites this paper
• Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Fitness-Related Traits of Sea Urchin (Heliocidaris crassispina)

  2023cites this paper
• Is part-night lighting a suitable mitigation strategy to limit Artificial Light at Night effects on the biological rhythm at the behavioral and molecular scales of the oyster Crassostrea gigas?

  2023cites this paper
• Effects of artificial light at night on the mobility of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

  2023cites this paper
• Artificial light at night at environmental intensities disrupts daily rhythm of the oyster Crassostrea gigas.

  2023cites this paper
• Light pollution as an ecological edge effect: Landscape ecological analysis of light pollution in protected areas in Korea

  2022cites this paper
• Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Sensitive Distance Identification of Light Pollution in Protected Areas Based on Muti-Source Data: A Case Study of Guangdong Province, China

  2022cites this paper
• Impacts of artificial light at night in marine ecosystems—A review

  2022cites this paper
• A plea for a worldwide development of dark infrastructure for biodiversity – Practical examples and ways to go forward

  2022cites this paper
• Distribution and oceanography characteristic of light fishing in the Java Sea

  2021cites this paper
• Effects of artificial light at night and predator cues on foraging and predator avoidance in the keystone inshore mollusc Concholepas concholepas.

  2021cites this paper
• Keeping light pollution at bay: A red-lines, target values, top-down approach

  2021cites this paper
• Green Awareness in Action of Saving Energy in School Life: Modeling Environmental Literacy in Theory and Practice Experience

  2021cites this paper
• The influence of spectral composition of artificial light at night on clownfish reproductive success

  2021cites this paper
• Evaluation of Light Pollution in Global Protected Areas from 1992 to 2018

  2021cites this paper
• Long-term exposure to artificial light at night in the wild decreases survival and growth of a coral reef fish

  2021cites this paper
• The diversity of photosensitivity and its implications for light pollution.

  2021cites this paper
• Introduction to the Symposium: Effects of Light Pollution Across Diverse Natural Systems.

  2021cites this paper
• Ecological Impact of Artificial Light at Night: Effective Strategies and Measures to Deal with Protected Species and Habitats

  2021cites this paper
• Can we illuminate our cities and (still) see the stars?

  2021cites this paper
• Light pollution: a landscape-scale issue requiring cross-realm consideration

  2021cites this paper
• Light pollution: A review of the scientific literature

  2021cites this paper
• Artificial light at night erases positive interactions across trophic levels

  2020cites this paper
• Biologically important artificial light at night on the seafloor

  2020cites this paper
• Artificial light at night does not alter heart rate or locomotor behaviour in Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus): insights into light pollution and physiological disturbance using biologgers

  2020cites this paper
• National Scale Spatial Variation in Artificial Light at Night

  2020cites this paper
• Boating- and Shipping-Related Environmental Impacts and Example Management Measures: A Review

  2020cites this paper
• High correlation but high scale-dependent variance between satellite measured night lights and terrestrial exposure

  2020cites this paper
• Effects of Light Pollution on the Early Life Stages of the Most Abundant Northern Red Sea Coral

  2020cites this paper
• Modelling environmental literacy with environmental knowledge, values and (reported) behaviour

  2020cites this paper
• National Scale Spatial Variation in Artificial Light at Night

  2020cites this paper
• Monitoring transition: Expected night sky brightness trends in different photometric bands

  2019cites this paper
• A Synthesis of Opportunities for Applying the Telecoupling Framework to Marine Protected Areas

  2019cites this paper
• Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing of Nighttime Light Observations: Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives

  2019cites this paper
• Artificial light pollution influences behavioral and physiological traits in a keystone predator species, Concholepas concholepas.

  2019cites this paper
• Mapping the consequences of artificial light at night for intertidal ecosystems.

  2019cites this paper
• Live fast, die young: Behavioural and physiological impacts of light pollution on a marine fish during larval recruitment.

  2019cites this paper
• Artificial light at night causes reproductive failure in clownfish

  2019cites this paper
• Anthropogenic Light Disrupts Natural Light Cycles in Critical Conservation Areas

  2019cites this paper
• Reporte de vigilancia tecnológica en sistemas de iluminación

  2019cites this paper
• Assessing the effects of artificial light at night on biodiversity across latitude – Current knowledge gaps

  2019cites this paper
• Artificial light pollution influences behavioral and 8 physiological traits in a keystone predator species,

  2019cites this paper
• How dark is a river? Artificial light at night in aquatic systems and the need for comprehensive night‐time light measurements

  2019cites this paper
• Assessment of Night-Time Lighting for Global Terrestrial Protected and Wilderness Areas

  2019cites this paper
• The intensity and spectrum of artificial light at night alters crayfish interactions

  2019cites this paper
• Mapping Fishing Activities and Suitable Fishing Grounds Using Nighttime Satellite Images and Maximum Entropy Modelling

  2018cites this paper
• Nature, extent and ecological implications of night‐time light from road vehicles

  2018cites this paper
• Characterizing Light Pollution Trends across Protected Areas in China Using Nighttime Light Remote Sensing Data

  2018cites this paper
• 1 Mapping Fishing Activities and Suitable Fishing 2 Grounds Using Nighttime Satellite Images and 3 Maximum Entropy Modelling 4

  2018cites this paper
• Reduction of sea turtle population recruitment caused by nightlight: Evidence from the Mediterranean region

  2018cites this paper
• Spatial and seasonal patterns of night-time lights in global ocean derived from VIIRS DNB images

  2018influential citation
• Light pollution in shallow coastal waters: aquaculture farming in the Galician Atlantic shoreline

  2018cites this paper
• Artificial Lighting at Night in Estuaries—Implications from Individuals to Ecosystems

  2018cites this paper
• Worldwide increase in Artificial Light At Night around protected areas and within biodiversity hotspots

  2018cites this paper
• Why artificial light at night should be a focus for global change research in the 21st century

  2018influential citation
• Potentiality of Using Luojia 1-01 Nighttime Light Imagery to Investigate Artificial Light Pollution

  2018cites this paper
• Artificial light at night alters trophic interactions of intertidal invertebrates

  2017cites this paper
• Estimating the relative contribution of streetlights, vehicles, and residential lighting to the urban night sky brightness

  2017cites this paper
• ASSESSMENT OF LIGHT POLLUTION IMPACT ON PROTECTED AREAS IN CHINA

  2017cites this paper
• The spectral and spatial distribution of light pollution in the waters of the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat)

  2017cites this paper
• Light pollution offshore: Zenithal sky glow measurements in the mediterranean coastal waters

  2017cites this paper
• Ecological and Organismic Effects of Light Pollution

  2016cites this paper
• The resilience of juvenile Acropora corals when exposed to artificial light at night, commonly associated with coastal urbanisation

  year unknowninfluential citation