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How can artificial lights confuse sea turtle hatchlings?

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Illustrations of ten representative chelonians, including spiny softshell turtle, Galapagos giant tortoise, green turtle, alligator snapping turtle, Blanding's turtle, common map turtle, eastern box turtle, eastern painted turtle, spotted turtle, and eastern mud turtle, each labeled with its common and scientific name. A scale bar at the bottom shows size comparison. — turtle Turtles (order Testudines).

Artificial light from human development creates significant challenges for sea turtles by disrupting their natural navigation instincts. Under normal conditions, hatchlings emerge from their nests at night and rely on environmental cues to find the ocean.12

When artificial lighting is present near nesting beaches, it causes hatchlings to become disoriented. Instead of moving toward the water, they are often drawn inland toward the artificial light sources. This misdirection is fatal for many, as it exposes them to risks such as:1

Dehydration and exhaustion: Hatchlings expend critical energy reserves wandering away from the safety of the sea.1
Predation: Moving inland or remaining on the beach longer than necessary increases their vulnerability to predators.1
Vehicle collisions: Hatchlings may wander onto roads or developed areas where they are struck by vehicles.1

Because this phenomenon is a major threat to conservation efforts, many coastal municipalities have implemented regulations to minimize light pollution near nesting habitats, such as requiring shielded light fixtures that direct illumination downward.1