Sea turtle friendly lighting installed at Gulf State Park Pier

By Melanie LeCroy
Posted 7/15/20

Gulf State Park Pier has been undergoing a $2.4 million renovation project to modernize the popular Gulf Coast attraction. The updates include new decking and railings as well as a new observation …

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Sea turtle friendly lighting installed at Gulf State Park Pier

Posted

Gulf State Park Pier has been undergoing a $2.4 million renovation project to modernize the popular Gulf Coast attraction. The updates include new decking and railings as well as a new observation deck for the human visitors and sea turtle friendly lighting is being installed for the gulf coast’s endangered visitors.

Bright lights close to the beach can disorient sea turtles coming ashore to nest. Lights can also confuse hatchlings and cause them to crawl toward the lights instead of the gulf waters.

According to Share the Beach, between 2010 and 2019, an estimated 66,915 hatchlings made it to the water from Alabama’s beaches. However, in 2019, 17 adult female sea turtles and hatchlings from seven nests were disoriented due to artificial lighting.

The new lights being installed on the Gulf State Park Pier sit only 12 feet above the pier decking and feature LED bulbs which shine an orange hue. The shields around the light direct the light onto the decking and not into the water. The parking lot lights have been lowered to stand 14 feet above the ground and feature the same LED bulbs and shields. The Lodge at Gulf State Park utilizes the same sea turtle friendly lighting.

The park provides progress updates on its social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The project is expected to complete by the end of July. No date has yet been announced.