Saving Sea Turtles From Extinction: Turtle Friendly Outdoor Lighting Solutions

Saving Sea Turtles From Extinction: Turtle Friendly Outdoor Lighting Solutions

Improper outdoor lighting is one of the greatest issues affecting sea turtles – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Let’s face it… light pollution and sea turtles just don’t go together. Many species are on the verge of extinction… and improper outdoor lighting is a major cause. Not quite sure how this can be? Let’s look into this a little further…

Female turtles return to the same area to nest each year. If they return and find bright outdoor lighting, one of two things happens.

1) The female will simply swim on by… essentially removing herself from the breeding population.

2) She lays her eggs, and then several weeks later the hatchlings emerge under cover of darkness and begin their journey to the sea. They’ve evolved through millions of years to seek out the brightest horizon. This is generally the ocean… with crashing surf and moon and star light reflecting on the water. Unfortunately, if bright lights were installed along with some recent development, the hatchlings emerge and crawl...