Light pollution is disrupting nature’s compass

In nan distant northbound of Western Australia, a oversea of mini creatures make their measurement crossed nan achromatic sands of nan formation to nan water – guided by nan nighttime sky.

Every year, turtle hatchlings make nan precarious dash from their nest to nan water, marking nan commencement of their life.

This arena requires earthy ray from nan nighttime sky, but arsenic cities and developments grow, artificial ray is starting to person an impact.

“For hatchlings, it’s nan biggest effect successful nan discourse of misorientation and disorientation connected a nesting beach,” says Tristan Simpson, Senior Environmental Officer astatine nan Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program.

“The hatchling turtle tin beryllium attracted towards nan ray aliases get mislaid by nan ray and conscionable spell disconnected successful random directions,” he says. 

“What that tin do is they tin either get mislaid down nan formation [or] not make nan water, which past leaves them prone to accrued levels of mortality.”

To protect nan threatened type of flatback turtles, researchers are looking astatine really to mitigate ray pollution.

Caption: Hatchlings usage earthy ray from nan nighttime entity to guideline them to nan ocean
Credit: Sabrina Fossette, DBCA

IT’S TOO BRIGHT!

Light pollution is nan excessive aliases inappropriate usage of artificial ray astatine night-time.

It tin beryllium caused by a variety of sources, including streetlights and lights from houses, factories and sporting venues.

This artificial ray tin person a terrible effect connected nature’s astir important processes specified arsenic turtle nesting.

“Recently, we conducted a threat prioritisation process done our programme to people different threats and different life rhythm stages of turtles,” says Tristan.

“Artificial ray still comes retired arsenic 1 of nan highest-priority threats for america to address.”

But it’s not conscionable babe turtles that are affected by ray pollution. 

Caption: Light contamination tin beryllium caused by streetlights aliases houses
Credit: Astrotourism WA

OUTSHINING THE STARS

More than 80% of nan world is impacted by ray pollution.

Astrotourism WA CEO Carol Redford believes this has driven a world push towards acheronian entity tourism.

“I tin only deliberation that this is because astir of america unrecorded successful brightly lit cities and we conscionable don’t get that opportunity to look up and really spot nan stars,” says Carol.

“There are immoderate children now who will turn up not seeing stars, which is simply a large portion of nan situation to return distant from ourselves.”

“I deliberation that’s why it’s risen successful popularity, because it’s becoming rarer and scarce astir nan world.”

Research from Tourism WA recovered nearly 90% of visitors to WA showed an liking successful stargazing while travelling.

The opportunities for acheronian entity tourism are endless, from witnessing turtle hatchlings migrating to nan water to eating nether nan stars aliases simply gazing astatine nan nighttime sky.

Carol says galore location towns are promoting nan earthy tourer attraction to visitors.

“Because stargazing is an after-dark activity, it encourages overnight stays,” she says.

Caption: Light contamination has driven a world push towards acheronian entity tourism. 
Credit: Astrotourism WA

“You’re not going to person a stargazing acquisition aliases a acheronian entity acquisition and past get successful your car and recreation a mates hours to spell location else.

“You’re going to enactment overnight, which instantly intends much money drops into that section economy.”

“The Midwest, nan Wheatbelt, nan Gascoyne, Pilbara, Kimberley, those areas are really astonishing for stargazing because we person these immense horizons and upwind conditions are ideal.”

“You tin dishonesty backmost location nether nan Milky Way and spot it agelong from 1 sky to different and that’s beautiful mind-blowing.”

But arsenic nan nighttime entity becomes brighter owed to expanding ray pollution, it diminishes these experiences.

Luckily, location is simply a solution to defender nan nighttime skies.

LIMITING THE LIGHT

Unlike different forms of pollution, light contamination is much easy reversed. For example, group tin simply move disconnected unnecessary lights astatine nighttime aliases shield ray truthful it falls wherever it’s needed.

Improving consciousness of ray contamination is besides playing a ample domiciled successful mitigating nan effect connected nan environment.

Caption: A caller Scitech grounds will showcase nan effect of ray contamination connected turtle populations.
Credit: Tristan Simpson, DBCA

“There’s a monolithic activity globally,” says Tristan.

“Cities successful Europe are going afloat acheronian astatine night-time [and] there’s tons much investigation going into this, peculiarly nan wellness impacts connected group – we are animals too, aft all.

“To perceive nan activity that’s been done and nan outcomes of that activity … it’s rather significant.”

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

A caller grounds astatine Scitech will soon radiance a spotlight connected ray pollution, nan effect it has connected turtles and really nan adjacent procreation tin sphere acheronian skies for ecological and astronomical benefits.

“To deliberation that 300,000 group each twelvemonth are going to person nan imaginable to prosecute pinch that grounds and to study astir ray contamination and really it affects oversea turtle populations and besides our nighttime entity is conscionable really groundbreaking,” says Carol.

“It is beautiful astonishing what we tin do arsenic Western Australians to lead nan measurement successful this acquisition and mitigating ray contamination complete nan years to come.

“I tin spot america starring nan world, and this grounds is simply a large portion of that.”

The accumulation opened connected 22 September 2025.

Caption: The ray contamination grounds is now unfastened astatine Scitech.
Credit: Deprimo Photography