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Increasing levels of Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) alter the natural diel cycles of organisms at global scale. ALAN constitutes a potential threat to the light-dependent functioning of symbiotic scleractinian corals, the habit-founders of warm, shallow water reefs. Here, we show that ALAN disrupts the natural diel tentacle expansion and contraction behaviour, a key mechanism for prey capture and nutrient acquisition in corals. We exposed four symbiotic scleractinian coral species to different ALAN treatments (0.4-2.5 μmol quanta m-2 s-1). Exposure to ALAN levels of 1.2 μmol quanta m-2 s-1 and above altered the normal tentacle expansion response in diurnal species (Stylophora pistillata and Duncanopsammia axifuga). The tentacle expansion pattern of nocturnal species (Montastraea cavernosa and Lobophyllia hemprichii) was less affected, which may indicate a greater capacity to tolerate ALAN exposure. The results of this work suggest that ALAN has the potential to affect nutrient acquisition mechanisms of symbiotic corals which may in turn result in changes in the coral community structure in shallow water reefs in ALAN-exposed areas.
M L Mardones, and
J Lambert, and
J Wiedenmann, and
T W Davies, and
O Levy, and
C D'Angelo
November 2020,
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987),
M L Mardones, and
J Lambert, and
J Wiedenmann, and
T W Davies, and
O Levy, and
C D'Angelo
February 2024,
The Science of the total environment,
M L Mardones, and
J Lambert, and
J Wiedenmann, and
T W Davies, and
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C D'Angelo
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Global change biology,
M L Mardones, and
J Lambert, and
J Wiedenmann, and
T W Davies, and
O Levy, and
C D'Angelo
May 2019,
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987),
M L Mardones, and
J Lambert, and
J Wiedenmann, and
T W Davies, and
O Levy, and
C D'Angelo
December 2023,
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences,
M L Mardones, and
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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI,
M L Mardones, and
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M L Mardones, and
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Marine pollution bulletin,
M L Mardones, and
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Environmental science and pollution research international,
M L Mardones, and
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Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987),
