Assessing Light Pollution Exposure for the Most Important Sea Turtle Nesting Area in the Mediterranean Region

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is impacting sea turtle nesting around the globe by decreasing the nesting attempts, disorienting the sea turtle hatchlings while trying to find the sea, and disrupting hatchlings’ offshore migration. In the Mediterranean Sea, the shoreline of Kyparissia Bay is considered the most important nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), with several thousand nests on an annual basis. The current study reports for the first time the exposure of the core 10 km of nesting area to ALAN pollution, evaluates the potential impact on sea turtle conservation, and discusses mitigation measures as coastal urbanization and touristic activity increase rapidly in the region. Our findings demonstrate that most of the core area was not impacted by ALAN pollution, although a specific region (Kalo Nero) was subjected to high illumination at night, leading to reduced sea turtle nests and potential threats to hatchlings.