Phillip Island is home to the world’s largest colonies of little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters, where artificial light has been used for nightly penguin viewing for decades. Responding to the need to minimise the effect of artificial lighting, we explored how different type, intensity and colour of lights affect penguins and shearwaters. We are now using this knowledge to reduce light pollution and better traffic management to mitigate light-induced negative effec on the wildlife of Phillip Island. As we restore habitats, reintroduce nocturnal native species and learn the importance of celestial bodies to Aboriginal cultures; it is crucial to preserve the integrity of the natural skylight.

Meet the speaker:

Andre Chiaradia | Marine Scientist

Andre works on prey-predator relationships and interactions with their marine environment. Together with collaborators, they have been using more sensitive variables such as foraging efficiency, presence/absence of thermoclines, foraging-trip-duration, isotopic niche analysis, fractal diving analysis and new spatial-temporal scales to detect penguins' response to environmental changes. On land, he works towards preserving the integrity of the natural skylight and habitat restoration to reduce light pollution and mitigate artificial light-induced mortality on wildlife. Andre is on the editorial board of PLoS ONE and section editor of PLoS Climate, past editor of the Australasian Seabird Group Bulletin, current a steering committee member of the IUCN Penguin Specialist Group and adjunct Associate Professor to the Monash University.

This webinar will run on Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).