The use of autonomous terrestrial rovers for high resolution light pollution sampling in beach environments
Abstract
Nesting sea turtles have been known to actively avoid brightly lit beaches and often
turn back to sea prematurely when exposed to artificial light. Observations and experiments
have noted that nesting turtles prefer darker areas where structures such as buildings
and high dunes act as light barriers. As a result, sea turtles nest primarily on darker
beaches, creating spatial concentrations of nests. Artificial nighttime light, or
light pollution, has been quantified using a variety of methods. However, it has proven
challenging to make accurate assessments of light impact on smaller nesting beaches.
Additionally, light has traditionally been measured from stationary tripods perpendicular
to beach vegetation, disregarding the view a nesting female experiences. In the present
study, nighttime ambient light conditions were assessed on three different nesting
beaches in central North Carolina. Using an autonomous terrestrial rover, high resolution
light measurements were collected every minute (Sky Quality Meter-LU-DL, Unihedron).
Spatial comparisons between ambient light conditions and nesting density at and between
these locations revealed the highest densities of nests occurring in regions with
lowest light levels, supporting hypotheses that light pollution from coastal development
may impact turtle nesting distribution. These results can support ongoing management
strategies to mitigate this pressing conservation issue.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/16565Citation
Windle, Anna (2018). The use of autonomous terrestrial rovers for high resolution light pollution sampling
in beach environments. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/16565.Collections
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