Guiding Aquatic Reptile (Chelonian and Crocodylian) Conservation in the Face of Growing Light Pollution: Lessons From Experience

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ABSTRACTLife on earth has evolved in response to the spatial, temporal, and spectral properties of natural light. However, with the advent of electricity and artificial lighting, the planet's nocturnal light environment has changed dramatically. This changing light environment is accompanied by altered behaviors in wild organisms, often resulting in drastic impacts on their fitness and population dynamics. Such effects have been demonstrated in a wide range of organisms, from plants to animals. However, there is a gap in our knowledge regarding freshwater reptiles. While extensive studies on sea turtles show alarming impacts of light pollution on their survival and recruitment, little is known about the effects on their freshwater counterparts and other aquatic reptiles, particularly crocodylians. Yet, these species face high extinction risk from anthropogenic stressors. The current lack of knowledge of their responses to the growing global pervasiveness of light pollution is a barrier to their effective conservation. Moreover, their responses could translate into ecosystem‐level alterations through top‐down effects, as have been observed for other species. Here, we synthesize the existing knowledge of the responses of aquatic reptiles, particularly freshwater crocodiles and turtles, to light pollution and discuss existing mitigation strategies to safeguard these species against the new threat. Knowledge gaps and existing mitigation strategies need to be addressed to promote species conservation in the face of the novel stressor, including in developing countries.