Lights from ships affecting marine life 650ft under Arctic waves
LIGHT pollution is endangering marine animals in the Arctic, according to research.
Creatures more than 650ft beneath the ocean waves are mistaking bright beams from ships for the Aurora borealis.
The animals rely on the spectacular show, popularly known as the Northern Lights, during long winters without daylight. This is when the sun never fully rises over the horizon and it lasts six months.
Corresponding author Professor Jorgen Berge said:”for organisms that remain active in one of the last undisturbed and pristine dark environments on the planet – the Arctic Polar Night – the moon, stars and aurora borealis may provide important cues to guide distribution and behaviours, including predatorprey interactions.
“With a changing climate and increased human activities in the Arctic, such natural light sources will in many places be masked by the much stronger illumination from artificial light.”
The phenomenon has added to the survival problems already faced by seals, sea otters, whales and the prey they depend upon.
Mr Berge added: “Arctic marine life, down to 200 metres (656ft) below the surface, is disturbed by artificial light from ships.” It also affects any fish or organism that comes within about 410 square feet of the boat.
The findings, published in Communications Biology, suggest it is affecting population surveys during the never ending nights.
This may influence sustainable management efforts to protect against climate change and other hazards.
Fish and the tiny zooplankton that they eat rely on natural light to adjust behaviour and migration patterns.
Artificial light can both disorient them and disrupt the ecosystem, hampering observations.
Mr Berge’s team analysed how fish and zooplankton communities responded when exposed to artificial light during the polar night at three Arctic locations.
When a ship’s lights were turned on, their behaviour changed almost immediately within five seconds.
Both swimming and vertical positions changed – down to
200 metres below the surface.
And the impact differed at all three sites – with the most dramatic happening in the northernmost area where the night sky is darkest.