Navigating the Challenges of Marine Light Pollution

Advancing Knowledge, Awareness, and Solutions for a Brighter Marine Future

Light Pollution Threatens Coastal Marine Systems

Light pollution extends beyond our cities, casting a disruptive glow over coastal waters and threatening marine ecosystems. At GOALANN, we’re shedding light on how artificial illumination affects ocean life, from the smallest plankton to the great whales, disrupting natural behaviours and endangering vital habitats.

22% of the world’s coastlines are impacted by light pollution nightly.

1.6 million kilometres squared of the worlds exclusive economic zones are exposed to biologically important light pollution to a depth of at least 10m.

Light pollution at sea remains almost completely unregulated by national and international policy.

Our Partners:

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Featured Light Pollution Publications

2023

Global Disruption of Coral Broadcast Spawning Associated with Artificial Light at Night

Nature Communications

Authors:

Thomas W. Davies 1, Oren Levy 2,3, Svenja Tidau1 , Laura Fernandes de Barros Marangoni 4, Joerg Wiedenmann 5, Cecilia D’Angelo5 & Tim Smyth 6

2021

A global atlas of artificial light at night under the sea

ELEMENTA: Science of the Anthropocene

Authors:

T. J. Smyth, A. E. Wright, D. McKee, S. Tidau, R. Tamir, Z. Dubinsky, D. Iluz, T. W. Davies

2022

Impacts of artificial light at night in marine ecosystems—A review

Global Change Biology

Authors:

Laura F. B. Marangoni , Thomas Davies, Tim Smyth, Airam Rodríguez, Mark Hamann, Cristian Duarte, Kellie Pendoley, Jørgen Berge, Elena Maggi, Oren Levy

2023

Impacts of artificial light at night on the early life history of two ecosystem engineers

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Authors:

Svenja Tidau, Fraser T. Brough, Luis Gimenez, Stuart R. Jenkins and Thomas W. Davies

Our Path to Healthier Oceans

GOALANN is an international network of the world’s leading experts in marine light pollution.  Our mission is to conserve the oceans by improving knowledge and awareness of marine light pollution, its ecological and societal impacts, and management options.

The initiative unifies research groups from around the world to provide a central resource of marine light pollution expertise, projects and tools for policy makers, environmental managers, maritime industries, the media and the public.

Featured Light Pollution Projects

Artificial Light Impacts on Coastal Ecosystems

DARKER SKY

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