The ISOLUME project addresses the impacts of changing marine lightscapes, particularly from coastal darkening and artificial light at night (ALAN). Led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research and involving partners from six European countries, the project investigates how marine lightscapes have changed over decades to centuries. Using historical data, remote sensing, and modeling, ISOLUME analyses changes in light intensity, location, timing, and spectra. It spans marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems, with case studies across Europe. Findings will support monitoring, management, and policy frameworks to mitigate the ecological effects of altered lightscapes.
The main expected impacts are:
- A scientific knowledge base that quantifies changes in spectral quantity and quality of marine lightscapes on decadal timescales in European sea basins.
- An assessment of drivers, sources and impacts of these changes at both large (~1000 km) and medium (~ 100 km) spatial scales.
- A roadmap for implementing changes in marine lightscapes as an indicator in monitoring programmes.
- A monitoring assessment framework for mitigating changes in marine lightscapes.
- A policy framework for communicating changes in marine lightscapes and introducing spectral quality as a relevant observable for ocean health.
Project coordinator:
- Prof Oliver Zielinski Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW) Seestrasse 15, 18119 Rostock Germany oliver.zielinski@io-warnemuende.de https://www.io-warnemuende.de
Project partners:
- Dr Thomas Davies University of Plymouth Drake Circus, PL4 8AA Plymouth United Kingdom thomas.w.davies@plymouth.ac.uk https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/thomas-davies-2
- Prof Tim Smyth Plymouth Marine Laboratory Prospect Place, PL13DH Plymouth United Kingdom tjsm@pml.ac.uk https://www.pml.ac.uk
- Dr Helene Frigstad Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) Jon Lilletuns vei 3, 4879 Grimstad Norway helene.frigstad@niva.no https://www.niva.no/en
- Dr Anders Frugård Opdal Universitetet i Bergen Thormøhlens gate 53A, 5006 Bergen Norway anders.opdal@uib.no https://bio.uib.no/te/afo/
- Prof Piotr Kowalczuk Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences Powstańców Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot Poland piotr@iopan.gda.pl http://www.iopan.gda.pl/
- Prof Peter Croot University of Galway University Road, H91 TK33 Galway Ireland peter.croot@universityofgalway.ie https://www.universityofgalway.ie
- Dr Franz Hölker Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. Rudower Chaussee 17 , 12489 Berlin Germany franz.hoelker@igb-berlin.de https://www.fv-berlin.de/en/
- Prof Andreas Jechow Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences Magdeburger Straße 50, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel Germany andreas.jechow@th-brandenburg.de
- Prof Sabine Schlacke University of Greifswald, Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law Ernst-Lohmeyer-Platz 1, 17489 Greifswald Germany sabine.schlacke@uni-greifswald.de https://rsf.uni-greifswald.de/forschung/forschungsschwerpunkte/ifeus/
- Prof Alan Deidun Department of Geosciences/University of Malta Room 211B, Maths and Physics Building, Faculty of Science, MSD2080 Msida Malta alan.deidun@um.edu.mt https://www.um.edu.mt/