Light pollution alters the skeletal morphology of coral juveniles and impairs their light capture capacity

Urbanization and infrastructure development have changed the night-time light regime of many coastal marine habitats. Consequently, Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is becoming a global ecological concern, particularly in nearshore coral reef ecosystems. However, the effects of ALAN on coral archite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2023-08, Vol.193, p.115212-115212, Article 115212
Main Authors: Kramer, Netanel, Tamir, Raz, Galindo-Martínez, Claudia Tatiana, Wangpraseurt, Daniel, Loya, Yossi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anthozoa
Artificial light at night (ALAN)
Bio-optics
Coloring Agents
Coral morphology
Coral Reefs
Ecosystem
Light
Light harvesting
Light Pollution
Photophysiology
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Summary:Urbanization and infrastructure development have changed the night-time light regime of many coastal marine habitats. Consequently, Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is becoming a global ecological concern, particularly in nearshore coral reef ecosystems. However, the effects of ALAN on coral architecture and their optical properties are unexplored. Here, we conducted a long-term ex situ experiment (30 months from settlement) on juvenile Stylophora pistillata corals grown under ALAN conditions using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and fluorescent lamps, mimicking light-polluted habitats. We found that corals exposed to ALAN exhibited altered skeletal morphology that subsequently resulted in reduced light capture capacity, while also gaining better structural and optical modifications to increased light levels than their ambient-light counterparts. Additionally, light-polluted corals developed a more porous skeleton compared to the control corals. We suggest that ALAN induces light stress in corals, leading to a decrease in the solar energy available for photosynthesis during daytime illumination. [Display omitted] •Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a novel environmental stressor for coral reefs.•Corals were exposed to ALAN from settlement for 30 months.•ALAN alters coral skeletal morphology and optical properties.•The coral skeleton's ability to capture light is impaired by ALAN exposure.•Ongoing exposure to ALAN could deteriorate coral ecological functioning.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115212