An EU research project has produced the first interactive map of European marine and freshwater habitats affected by both light and noise pollution (LNP). The AquaPLAN Visualisation Portal is the first step in managing the combined impacts of LNP on aquatic biodiversity in our rivers, lakes, coastal and offshore waters.

Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, the AquaPLAN project (Aquatic Pollution from Light and Anthropogenic Noise: Management of Impacts on Biodiversity) is quantifying the combined impacts of LNP on aquatic biodiversity in marine, freshwater and estuarine habitats, substantially improving our understanding of LNP prevalence, its impacts and our ability to manage them.

Led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the AquaPLAN Visualisation Portal allows users to view layers of data, separately or simultaneously, on marine and freshwater artificial light pollution and anthropogenic noise pollution. Existing habitat maps will also be made available in the future so that the combined impacts of these anthropogenic pollutants can be seen as we develop a risk matrix framework.

Lead researcher, Tim Smyth (PML) said: “While our understanding of how LNP affects aquatic biodiversity has dramatically improved in recent decades. Evidence suggests that these effects are prevalent globally in all aquatic habitats. There are still many critical knowledge gaps, we need better datasets to understand how to monitor, protect and restore aquatic biodiversity effectively. The AquaPLAN Visualisation Portal will allow us to take the first steps to better management and reduce these combined impacts”.

PML are demonstrating the capabilities of the Portal to AquaPLAN participants at online workshops on 9 and 18 December 2024. The workshop recordings will be made publicly available on the AquaPLAN website following the second workshop.
We can all do our part to reduce light and noise pollution from our homes and outdoor spaces. For simple actions you can take, please visit AquaPLAN’s Tips.

Access the AquaPLAN Visualisation Portal.