The purpose of our project is to show research on (1) how the effects of lighting pose a threat to the nocturnal behavior of nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings along the Volusia County coastline and (2) what can be done to minimize the effects of this light pollution to optimize sea turtle survival rates. Our technology standard is "Living Systems: Ecosystems Management."

According to the "Marine Turtle Protection Act," the Department of Environmental Protection has the authority and resources to protect the following species of marine turtles:  Atlantic loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta caretta), Atlantic green turtle (Chelonis mydas mydas), Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea),  Atlantic hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata), and Atlantic ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempi).  In particular, "unless otherwise provided by the federal Endangered Species Act or its implementing regulations, no person, firm, or corporation may take, kill, disturb, mutilate, molest, harass, or destroy any marine turtle."   Four of these types of turtles nest along Volusia County beaches:  Loggerhead, Leatherback, Ridley, and Green turtle. Turtle Nests were on the fall in 1995 (211) and 1997 (187), but rose in 1996 (261) and again through August, 1998 (262).

Currently, our community is embroiled in a controversy over protecting nesting sea turtles, their nests and the disorientation experienced by both nesting female turtles and hatchlings by light pollution from local businesses and street lights versus concerns for human safety and beach access. Volusia has developed a Beach Habitat Conservation Plan.  Throughout the 36 miles of Volusia County shoreline, approximately 50% no longer permit the driving of cars.  Sixty-eight street lights along north A1A were fitted with amber acyclic lens or amber lens shields.  Local businesses along A1A have been instructed to no longer allow direct lighting to hit the beach.  Those lights must be blackened, shielded or dimmed so as to not disorient the hatchlings causing them migrate away from the beach, towards the road.  By the next nesting season all ocean front windows will need tinting to adhere to the new lighting ordinance and all flashlights carried by people walking on the beach at night will have to be filtered.

suggestions from KA Duhring

Our goal is to investigate the existing best available lighting technology to optimize the survival rates of these endangered species while assuring a high degree of human safety.  We want to forcus on how to directly measure the light reaching the beach and affecting the turtles.  In pursuit of this goal, we need to begin by answering several questions.  (1) What types of light meters are currently available on the market.  (2) Along those lines, how these meters are currently being marketed and what wavelengths of light do they measure.  (3) Since turtles apparently are not sensitive to red lights, but are attracted by higher frequencies, we need to determine what difference exist between the area that a light meter "sees" compared to what a sea turtle "sees."  (4) Is there a light meter that can be used to measure light illumination levels on Volusia County beaches (i.e. a device that can be held out on the beach and measure light coming from adjacent hotels, condominiums, houses and commercial businesses)? (5) Is it possible to adapt standard light meters to be more similar to sea turtle's perception to better assess illumination that is most harmful to the animals ?

Last updated on Wednesday, 10/02/02, at 08:32 PM by