School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Dec 18;378(1892):20220362. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0362. Epub 2023 Oct 30.
Despite 22% of the world's coastal regions experiencing some degree of light pollution, and biologically important artificial light at night (ALAN) reaching large portions of the seafloor (greater than 75%) near coastal developments, the impacts of ALAN on temperate and tropical reefs are still relatively unknown. Because many reef species have evolved in response to low-light nocturnal environments, consistent daily, lunar, and seasonal light cycles, and distinct light spectra, these impacts are likely to be profound. Recent studies have found ALAN can decrease reproductive success of fishes, alter predation rates of invertebrates and fishes, and impact the physiology and biochemistry of reef-building corals. In this paper, we integrate knowledge of the role of natural light in temperate and tropical reefs with a synthesis of the current literature on the impacts of ALAN on reef organisms to explore potential changes at the system level in reef communities exposed to ALAN. Specifically, we identify the direct impacts of ALAN on individual organisms and flow on effects for reef communities, and present potential scenarios where ALAN could significantly alter system-level dynamics, possibly even creating novel ecosystems. Lastly, we highlight large knowledge gaps in our understanding of the overall impact of ALAN on reef systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.
尽管世界上 22%的沿海地区受到了某种程度的光污染，而且在靠近沿海开发的地方，大量的人为夜间生物光（ALAN）已经到达海底（超过 75%），但是人为夜间生物光对温带和热带珊瑚礁的影响仍然知之甚少。由于许多珊瑚物种是为低光照的夜间环境、持续的日常、月相和季节性光照周期以及独特的光谱而进化的，因此这些影响可能是深远的。最近的研究发现，ALAN 会降低鱼类的繁殖成功率，改变无脊椎动物和鱼类的捕食率，并影响珊瑚礁生物的生理和生物化学特性。在本文中，我们将自然光照在温带和热带珊瑚礁中的作用的知识与目前关于人为夜间生物光对珊瑚礁生物的影响的文献综述相结合，以探讨在暴露于人为夜间生物光的珊瑚礁群落中系统水平可能发生的潜在变化。具体来说，我们确定了 ALAN 对单个生物体的直接影响及其对珊瑚礁群落的后续影响，并提出了一些潜在的情景，其中 ALAN 可能会显著改变系统水平的动态，甚至可能创造新的生态系统。最后，我们强调了我们对人为夜间生物光对珊瑚礁系统的整体影响的理解存在很大的知识空白。本文是“复杂生态系统中的光污染”主题专刊的一部分。
