Mitigating the impacts of artifical light at night on biodiversity and attractiveness to disease carrying insects

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a prominent form of environmental pollution.

It accounts for a multitude of effects on biodiversity, and its effects have been observed through changes to organisms' physiology, ecology, activity, behaviour and many others. However, the impacts of ALAN on ecosystem networks and interactions of organisms are understudied.

Furthermore, with more development, light pollution is only increasing in our environments, and is effects are becoming ever more substantial, accounting for it to be one of the main challenges of the 21st century. There has been a recent switch to LEDs globally, as they are more energy efficient than previous light sources.

Despite their marked impacts, the properties of LEDs can be modified. Its possible to change their spectral output, intensity, duration and colour.

These modifications can further be combined with other suggested mitigation measures for light pollution, including shading, partial lighting or timed switch off.

Therefore, in this PhD, I'll be combining advances in molecular methods to reconstruct ecosystem networks and improve our understanding of species interaction under ALAN and how these are reflected in plant-animal-pathogen networks.

I'll combine this work with a myriad of ecological surveying methods to test the effects of various mitigating measures for light pollution.

I'll be collaborating with CASE partners, and industrial partners to inform practical change, and find the optimal mitigating measures for light pollution which benefits biodiversity and society alike.