First we were like Whoa! Then you were like Oh! Then we were like Yo.

Sea Turtles. Who doesn't love them? Nobody. Sea turtles are awesome, and not just because of their super chill, laid back, surfer attitudes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpV7NIJTxD0

Sea turtles are just as awesome in real life. They've existed since the time of the dinosaurs (oldest sea turtle fossils date back ~150 million years), they can travel thousands of miles across oceans (Leatherback sea turtles travel 10,000 miles each year crossing the Pacific Ocean) and yet return each year to the same beach where they were hatched, they are some of the deepest diving animals on earth (Leatherback sea turtles: max. dive depth 1186m). On top of all that they are absolutely adorable:

http://giphy.com/gifs/funny-animated-vzOhKYvn96uhG

Unfortunately sea turtles are facing a lot of issues today. There are seven species of sea turtle in the world's oceans today. Of those seven, 3 are listed as Vulnerable, 1 as Endangered, and 2 are Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. They face threats from by-catch, poaching, nest site disruptions, reduction of nesting sites by human expansion, entanglement in ghost fishing gear, and pollution. However, today I want to touch on an aspect of sea turtle conservation that is simple, easy and could actually save you money, and that is light pollution. 

The two most vulnerable periods in a sea turtle's life history occur on land, hatching and nesting. Female turtles exert massive amounts of energy hauling themselves up onto the beach and then digging a nest in which to lay their eggs. During this haul out period if the female turtle is "spooked" or "put-off" by some characteristic of the beach (perhaps it is too steep, or the sand is too wet which could endanger a nest laid there) she will often return to the ocean without nesting, and look for a new site further along the beach. This results in the creation of a false crawl; these are tracks left by the female hauling herself onto the beach but returning to the water without nesting. Due to the strenuous nature of the nesting process it is preferable for the females to nest in as few attempts as possible. Studies and observational evidence have shown that artificial lighting on nesting beaches deters nesting. Satellite imaging has also shown that sea turtles tend to avoid artificially lighted beaches, and are therefore being shunted into smaller nesting areas with the expansion of human settlements. Repeated false crawls can have major consequences for both nesting turtles and their offspring. As the females become more exhausted with each haul-out attempt they may become more compromising in their choice of an appropriate nest site. This can lead to nests being placed either too close to the surf or the vegetation which can result in the nest being destroyed by flooding, or strangulation by roots. In addition performing more haul-outs reduces the female's energy reserves so nesting will take longer; combined with the added time of performing multiple false crawls the female turtle may still be on the beach when the sun comes up. This can result in increased risk from daytime predators or in some locations human disturbance or poaching.

In addition to the interference in nesting, artificial lights are even more dangerous to hatchling turtles. Female turtles abandon their nests once the eggs are covered leaving hatchlings to dig themselves out and navigate to open water on their own. This is a dangerous and difficult process in and of itself, requiring the hatchlings to work together to climb out of the nest and rely on the protection of numbers to survive the gauntlet of natural predators en route to the sea. It is estimated that only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood, and a large percentage of that mortality occurs during the initial run to the ocean. Complicating this ordeal is the increase in artificial lighting on and around nesting beaches. Most sea turtles hatch at night and use the reflection of the moon and stars off the ocean's surface to navigate, along with the general slope of the beach. Artificial lighting disorientates and distracts hatchling turtles causing them to head inland resulting in death by dehydration, and predation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHzp6NFnp3c

So artificial lights are incredibly harmful to sea turtles, but why should we care? We use artificial lights to see at night. Why should we turn them off just for some stupid turtles? Well firstly because we have a moral obligation to our fellow species not to endanger and harm them whenever it is avoidable. Secondly sea turtles are incredibly important both ecologically, and economically. They fill a crucial ecological niche in the habitats they are found in, and are especially important during periods of eutrophication (an over abundance of nutrients in the water resulting in a boom in primary productivity) as they are chief consumers of algae. Economically they are doubly beneficial. Firstly they attract snorkellers and divers with their elegance and secondly they are a major predator for jellyfish which can deter swimmers. Given the increase in jellyfish population, maintaining and protecting sea turtle populations should be a priority.

http://theuglyorange.com/tag/pacific-sea-turtle/

So how can we fix this issue of artificial lighting. Well there are actually a few very simple methods to reduce light pollution:

• Turn off lights visible on nesting beaches or use special fixtures to shield the lights from the beach;
• Use low-pressure sodium-vapor lighting (LPS) instead of normal lights;
• Use Turtle Safe Lighting - these red lights emit a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum, which is less intrusive to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings;
• If disoriented hatchlings are found away from the sea, call local law enforcement;
• Tint windows that face the beach;
• Close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover windows visible from the beach.

     *http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=lighting

On top of being beneficial for turtles these solutions are actually financially beneficial in the long term. Its a win-win!

For more information on threats to sea turtles, the impact of artificial lights, and questions about what we can do to reduce light pollution please check out the following sources. Thanks for reading and remember if you're in a turtle nesting area, turn out your lights. 

https://faborplumbsfuntasticfinds.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/

Turtle Information:

http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/

http://www.conserveturtles.org/

http://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts

Sources:

http://myfwc.com/media/263029/technical_report_english.pdf

http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/

http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=lighting

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/light-pollution-could-prevent-sea-turtles-nesting-properly.html

IUCN Redlist 2016

http://www.seeturtles.org/baby-turtles/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle#Life_cycle

http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=overview

http://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-migration

http://www.seaturtle.org/PDF/Lopez-MendilaharsuM_2009_JMBA2.pdfhttp://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts