Sea Turtle Disorientations and Light Pollution Final Project Proposal

Sea Turtle Disorientations and Light Pollution (FLORIDA)

Victoria Spadaro 

Siena College

October 3, 2022 

Introduction: Light pollution can heavily influence animal behaviors. Disorientation from artificial lighting can impact sea turtles by disrupting hatchlings' journey to the ocean. This is a major conservation issue in Florida. Unfortunately, sea turtles are heading inland, which can often lead to death from predation and dehydration.

Objectives: My goal for this project is to create an interactive web map that displays light pollution at night and disorientation events on the coasts of Florida. I will explore the relationship between the two and observe how harmful artificial lights can be to the sea turtle population. I plan to also map Florida's major cities and compare them with the light pollution map. This will show whether or not coastal developments play a role in nesting destruction.  

Background Information: Sea turtles move toward the brightest direction which is the night sky. Hatchlings are beginning to travel toward artificial light sources instead of the sea. The glare alters their sense of direction and leaves them astray. It is essential to reduce the amount of artificial lighting near nesting beaches. Hatchlings have been found wandering away from the ocean and heading into highly populated areas. Lights from developments can also discourage females from nesting. We must consider this issue as the survival of hatchlings is decreasing due to human activity.

Methodology:  I will use the GIS layers I found and begin developing maps to show my project. I will choose which computer program will work best depending on the map layers. Data and layers will be collected from internet sources. 

Citations:

“Artificial Lighting and Sea Turtle Hatchling Behavior.” Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/. 

“Information about Sea Turtles: Threats from Artificial Lighting.” Sea Turtle Conservancy, https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-artificial-lighting/. 

Data Sources: 

FWC Sea Turtle Disorientation Survey(2018) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission  https://myfwc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=83e02c8fdcc444af9afb6125bc19de50 [October 5, 2022]

USA Major Cities (2022) Esri, U.S. Census Bureau. https://services.arcgis.com/P3ePLMYs2RVChkJx/arcgis/rest/services/USA_Major_Cities_/FeatureServer [October 5, 2022]

VIIRS Nighttime Lights Monthly Cloud-Free Composite (2021). Earth Observation Group - Colorado School of Mines Payne Institute for Public Policy. Esri.https://ic.img.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/VIIRS/NighttimeLightsMDNB/ImageServer [October 5, 2022]

Weekly Work Plan: 


Weeks 1-2: I will begin exploring the data layers. Additionally, I will choose the best computer program for my project. I will possibly find more datasets/layers to use during this time. 


Weeks 3-4: I will be adding the two layers together to create practice draft maps. I will meet with Dr. M to confirm this is the best route to take.


Weeks 5-7: I will find the best way to display the data by finalizing and perfecting my draft map(s).


Weeks 8-9: Finally, I will begin to work on the large PowerPoint for the final poster.  


October 6, 2022 - Draft Project Proposal 

October 25, 2022 - Map of Project Data 

November 22, 2022 - Draft Maps

December 13, 2022 - Final Maps and Reflection and Final Project Poster


Deliverables: By the end of this project, I hope to have one solid GIS map to show the correlation between human activity and its effect on marine life. If I choose to create more maps, they will also be related to marine conservation efforts.

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