Duke Energy Florida has been working to reduce sea turtle disorientations by replacing standard white LED fixtures with amber LED lights in beachfront areas. This effort is part of the company’s outdoor lighting program, which aims to minimize the impact of artificial lighting on sea turtles.

Amber Lighting Technology

The narrow-band amber lights used by Duke Energy have a wavelength of 590 nanometers, making them virtually invisible to sea turtles. This technology has been installed in over 2,500 lights in Florida coastal communities, with 91% of them located in Pinellas County.

According to Michael Smith, Duke Energy outdoor lighting senior products and services manager, the company has been involved in sea turtle lighting since the early 2000s. However, they started to intensify their efforts around 2017 when a pilot program was conducted in Treasure Island.

Emily Wooley of the Sea Turtle Conservancy noted that Pinellas County is one of the few areas in the state where street lights are being retrofitted alongside or even ahead of individual properties. She hopes that this effort will inspire property owners to make the switch to sea turtle-friendly lighting.

Carly Oakley, sea turtle nesting team manager at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, emphasized the importance of reducing disorientations, which can have a significant impact on hatchlings. When they hatch, they have a 72-hour energy reserve, and wasting this energy by moving in the wrong direction can be detrimental to their survival.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.