Dipartimento di Biologia, CoNISMa, Università di Pisa, via Derna No.1, Pisa 56126, Italy.
IBF-CNR, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Area di Ricerca San Cataldo, via G. Moruzzi No.1, Pisa 56124, Italy.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Sep;206:116782. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116782. Epub 2024 Aug 2.
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a recognized source of anthropogenic disturbance, although its effects on biological systems have not been fully explored. Within marine ecosystems, coastal areas are the most impacted by ALAN. Here, we focused on the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, which has a crucial role in shaping benthic ecosystems. Our objective was to investigate if ALAN affects the nocturnal locomotor behavior of P. lividus. A semi-controlled field study was conducted along a rocky shore near a promenade lit at night. Results suggested a potential impact of ALAN on the locomotor behavior of sea urchins. Individuals of P. lividus tended to move away from the light sources while its directions in dark conditions were uniform. Their locomotor performance, in presence of ALAN, was characterized by shorter latency time, lower sinuosity and higher mean speed at increasing light intensity, with potential cascading effect at the ecosystem level.
夜间人工光照（ALAN）是一种公认的人为干扰源，尽管其对生物系统的影响尚未得到充分探索。在海洋生态系统中，沿海地区受 ALAN 的影响最大。在这里，我们专注于地中海石斑鱼 Paracentrotus lividus，它在塑造底栖生态系统中起着至关重要的作用。我们的目的是研究 ALAN 是否会影响 P. lividus 的夜间运动行为。在夜间有灯光照明的海滨长廊附近的岩石海岸进行了半控制野外研究。结果表明，ALAN 可能会对海胆的运动行为产生影响。P. lividus 的个体在远离光源的同时，在黑暗条件下的运动方向是一致的。在 ALAN 存在的情况下，它们的运动性能表现为潜伏期更短、弯曲度更低、在光强度增加时平均速度更高，这可能对生态系统水平产生级联效应。
