Clovis, Tanya. - WIDECAST

Clovis, Tanya. 2005. Sea Turtle Manual for Nesting Beach Hotels, Staff, Security and Tour Guides. Developed by SOS Tobago with
assistance from the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST). Sponsored by the Travel Foundation. Tobago.
A NOTE ABOUT BEACHFRONT LIGHTING
Of all the threats that reduce the survival prospects of our sea turtles, beachfront lighting is
one of the most studied, easiest to remedy, and falls within our jurisdiction (unlike, for
example, highseas fishing-related sources of mortality) so that we have very few excuses for
not taking the responsibility for dealing effectively with this challenge.
Some countries have done well in quantifying this threat. For example, the Barbados Sea
Turtle Project has recorded disorientation in as much as 60% of hatchlings after
emergence and over 30% of females after nesting in that country on illuminated “hotel
beaches”. Beachfront lighting is also a major issue on Tobago’s leading leatherback nesting
beach, Great Courland Bay (Turtle Beach), and a growing problem around the island as
coastal development increases. This is typical of many small islands where coastal
development is often tourism-driven and many hotels are built as close to the shore as
possible. Increasingly, the authorities are encouraging ‘setbacks’ from the coast as a way of
reducing the environmental impact and the natural disaster risk. However, in many cases,
remedial action is necessary to reduce or reverse the effects of existing lights on the nesting
beaches and the sea turtles that use them.
The following pointers on beachfront lighting are drawn from Witherington and Martin’s
definitive manual: “Understanding, assessing, and resolving light-pollution problems on
sea turtle nesting beaches”
(http://www.nofs.navy.mil/about_NOFS/staff/cbl/LPSnet/FMRI-TR2.pdf).
• Turn off unnecessary or non-essential beachfront lighting, such as decorative lights.
• Think about timing. Temporary seasonal alterations to light management are not as
good as permanent ones, but they can be very effective for the duration of the nesting
season or at least for peak hatching and laying months.
• Limit light duration through the use of motion detectors; the more momentary a light
source the smaller its effect.
• Use good light control. Position or shield lights so that they shine away from the
beach, lower light fixtures or recess them in the wall or under the eaves so that there is
less light scattered around on the beach.
• Use light screens to block the overall glow from lights that might be difficult to adjust
at the source, such as distant streetlights. While artificial screens would work, plants
like sea grapes can be encouraged to grow along the tree line, thus shielding the beach
naturally. Such hedging has also been found to reduce erosion and increase Hawksbill
nesting by providing more of the sheltered nesting habitat that these turtles prefer.
• Substitute longer wavelength light sources - such as pure red or yellow LED or true
neon bulbs - for shorter wavelength blue, white or bright yellow lighting.
• Remember, if you can see a light while standing on the beach at night, sea turtles can
see it, too!
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