Sea Turtles

How does artificial light impact sea turtles?

When we talk about the human-caused threats to sea turtles in Georgia—and there are many—what comes to mind? People often visualize pictures of hatchlings trapped in abandoned holes in the beach, or turtles caught in nets or fishing gear. By now, many have seen the viral photo of a sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nose, and images like that one help us understand the importance of properly disposing of trash and limiting our plastic consumption.

But while those are all important steps, one of the most pressing challenges on Georgia’s beaches can be harder to capture in a single photograph. Artificial light poses a significant threat to both nesting mothers and their hatchlings across our coast.

Most species of sea turtles typically nest at night. While generations ago, they may have had no problem finding a quiet, dark place to lay their eggs, now they must compete with bright hotels, condos, and tourists walking the beach with flashlights. The problem? Artificial lighting can cause nesting mothers to false crawl (return to the ocean without nesting) or even avoid entire stretches of beach to begin with, resulting in effective habitat loss. And hatchlings—who use visual cues to navigate to the brightest part of the horizon (typically the reflection of the night sky on the ocean below)—can be misoriented, or led in the wrong direction. All it takes is one vacationer leaving their porch light on at night in a beachside condo, and an entire nest’s worth of hatchlings could be lost.

Artificial lighting not only impacts turtles on developed islands, it contributes to sky glow that can harm turtles on undeveloped islands miles away. Beachgoers can help by turning out bright white flashlights and choosing turtle-friendly red lighting (or better yet, using our own natural night vision and walking by the light of the moon and stars!). Homeowners, hotels, and condo rental agencies can ensure their beach-facing lighting is shielded, turned off after dark, and/or not visible from the beach below, and that they choose lightbulbs that produce wavelengths greater than 560 nanometers (lighting that appears red or amber to our eyes).

This individual action must be backed by strong ordinances and community practices—that’s why we and our partners at the St. Simons Island Sea Turtle Project are engaging so closely with Glynn County’s zoning ordinance revision on this issue. The next draft is due out August 1, and an open house with public comment will be held on August 14. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more information about the implications of all the draft ordinances, including the Beachfront Lighting section. It’s imperative that the draft incorporate updated requirements and reflect the guidance from local sea turtle biologists. Stay tuned for opportunities to speak out—now is our chance to update an outdated, 30+ year old ordinance and make a meaningful difference for a species that means so much to our coast.

Megan Desrosiers

President and Chief Executive Officer

Megan Desrosiers is the founding President/CEO of One Hundred Miles, Georgia’s coastal advocacy organization. In an effort to elevate the Georgia coast as a recognized place of historical, cultural, and biological significance, Megan spends her time working in local communities, on regional collaboration projects, and lobbying in Atlanta.

Megan and her team have accomplished a remarkable amount since the organization’s inception in 2013. One Hundred Miles is responsible for improvements to the Erosion and Sedimentation Act which now requires a 25-foot buffer for all salt marsh, galvanizing statewide opposition to offshore drilling, and preventing the US Army Corps of Engineers from dredging during the summer when Georgia’s sea turtles come home to nest. Under her leadership, One Hundred Miles has built a network of more than 16,000 advocates who stand ready to respond to bad and promote good ideas that will affect our coast. In six short years, the organization has grown from two employees to ten, an annual budget of $250,000 to more than $1 million, and a donor base of six to one of more than 1,100 today.

Before coming to Georgia’s coast, Megan spent 10 years at the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) in South Carolina. She was instrumental in efforts to conserve land in the Ashley River Historic Corridor and on Johns Island. She also worked to establish the organization’s first climate and energy and agriculture program agendas.

Megan has worked through the years to help start up organizations form and become sustainable coastal advocacy partners in Georgia and South Carolina. In addition to forming One Hundred Miles, she worked with a team to start GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina’s first local food hub, and collaborated with a group of diverse leaders to initiate Charleston County’s Greenbelt Program. Megan has also served on the founding boards of the South Carolina Outdoor Education Program (SCOEP) and Charleston Moves, a bicycle/pedestrian advocacy organization.

Stephanie Chewning

Coastal Education Coordinator

Stephanie’s love for the ocean started at a very young age on the beaches of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, searching for and collecting shells with her Nana. This childhood passion never stopped, and she followed her interest in the outdoors by pursuing a degree in Marine Science from American University in Washington, D.C.

After college, Stephanie spent time teaching environmental science in Florida, California, and Georgia. Ultimately settling on the Georgia coast, she worked at Driftwood Education Center on St. Simons Island as the Program Director and later with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a Naturalist on Sapelo Island. Stephanie continues to share her love of our coast as a part of the One Hundred Miles education team.

Kristen Clark

12th Grade, South Effingham High School

What Three Words Best Describe You?

Adventurous, Creative, Assiduous

What Is Your Dream Career?

I don’t know exactly what it is I want to pursue later in life, but I know I want it to be something that gives me the freedom to travel and explore the world while still making a difference. I want to do something that allows me to be creative and pursue my passions, something more than just a standard desk job.

What Is Your Claim to Fame?

I’ve participated in South Carolina’s Olympic Development Program for soccer for the past two years.

What Is Your Favorite Place Along Georgia’s Coast? What Do You Like Most About It?

My favorite place probably has to be Saint Simon’s Island. It’s not just about how beautiful and serene it is, though. I like how being there makes me feel. I like that it makes me feel at peace with myself and lets me escape from the world around me.

What Coastal Issue(s) Are You Most Passionate About? Why?

I think that major coastal issues to be concerned about primarily surround plastic pollution and the degradation of beaches and coastal lands. There are so many issues that are important and worthwhile, but I feel that plastic pollution is especially important. It threatens wildlife and chemicals leeched can harmfully impact human health, as well.

What Advice Would You Give to Other Students Who Want to Be Leaders or Make a Difference?

You are never too small to make a difference. Every movement and every change in history has started with one action, one idea, that was built upon to create change. All contributions, big or small, have the power to make a difference.