Residents of coastal Florida need to turn off the light after 21:00: what is the reason

Residents of Florida cities must turn off the lights and close the blinds by 9 pm, because from May 1 to October 31 nesting sea turtles take place on the beaches, reports Yahoo.

Photo: Shutterstock

From May 1 to October 31, between 40 and 000 sea turtles nest on Florida beaches. Turtles dig holes in the dry sand in the middle of the night, lay their eggs, fill the holes and return to the water.

The incubation period is two months and artificial lighting is a huge threat to the process. Thousands of cubs die every year due to artificial lighting, so residents and visitors to the Sunshine State are urged to turn off the lights.

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Florida is home to five species of sea turtles, all of which are endangered. Under the federal Endangered Species Act, the green turtle, leatherback turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Kemp's Ridley turtle, and Loggerhead are endangered.

Chasing, harming, killing sea turtles, their eggs and hatchlings is illegal.

How artificial lighting can harm sea turtles

Baby turtles use natural light from the sky to navigate the water. When artificial lights are turned on in homes, turtles may crawl towards artificial light rather than water.

Babies walking towards artificial light can become victims of predation, collision with a car, or death from environmental factors.

Adult sea turtles become malnourished and dehydrated on the beach after being confused by artificial light. This can cause the adult female turtle to return to the water instead of laying eggs.

What to do?

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, property owners who live along nesting beaches must follow these rules:

• Low Light - Luminaires should be installed as low as possible and lamps should produce the least amount of wattage.
• Long Light - Bulbs should only emit long wavelength light - 560 nanometers or more - amber, orange, or red.
• Shielded Light - Luminaires must be fully directed downwards and must protect the light bulb or luminous lens from its light reaching the beach.

Cities are asking residents to turn off their lights after 21pm. therefore the beaches can remain dark. If residents can see their shadow while standing on the beach on a moonless night, then there is too much light behind them and they should purchase new fixtures that meet the requirements.

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Those who visit the beach should stay away from the turtles so as not to disturb them.

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