Modelamiento del impacto de la contaminación lumínica en la anidación de la tortuga boba (Caretta caretta) en la Playa Buritaca

Abstract

The present study evaluates the impact of light pollution on the nesting process of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) at Buritaca Beach, integrating solutions from an Environmental Management perspective. The research is based on the premise that artificial nighttime lighting, particularly that originating from tourism infrastructure, alters the coastal landscape and compromises the functionality of nesting habitats. In this context, the study aimed to diagnose the current condition of the beach, model the potential effects of different wavelengths and light intensities, and propose management strategies applicable to the local context. The research was developed through a sequential approach that combined environmental assessment, bibliographic parameterization, and computational modeling. The first objective involved evaluating the edaphic, geomorphological, and oceanographic variables of Buritaca Beach. The results indicated relatively favorable biophysical conditions for nesting, although these were accompanied by anthropogenic pressures such as artificial lighting, bonfires, and nighttime human activity. The second objective focused on characterizing light pollution from hotel-related sources and parameterizing it based on spectral sensitivity and light intensity thresholds. Subsequently, a supervised neural network classifier implemented in Google Colab and a dynamic systems model developed in Vensim were used to explore habitat suitability and potential nesting trajectories under different scenarios. The findings demonstrate that Buritaca Beach retains environmental attributes compatible with the nesting requirements of Caretta caretta; however, its ecological functionality has been reduced by cumulative anthropogenic pressures. The impact assessment identified visible white and blue LED lighting, hotel lighting directed toward the shoreline, coastal skyglow, and the loss of buffering vegetation cover as the most relevant factors affecting the nesting environment. In addition, the Vensim simulations revealed contrasting trajectories: a scenario without adaptive light management resulted in a progressive decline in nesting activity, whereas the adaptive management scenario projected a gradual recovery of the system. The neural network classifier functioned as an exploratory tool for assessing adjusted habitat suitability under different combinations of environmental and lighting conditions. The study concludes that light pollution should be considered a major environmental pressure on nesting beaches due to its capacity to disrupt phototactic orientation and the reproductive dynamics of Caretta caretta. Based on these findings, technical, social, and territorial strategies were proposed to reduce light dispersion, strengthen shared responsibility among tourism stakeholders, and restore the coastal landscape as a natural buffering barrier.