The nighttime sky is increasingly illuminated by artificial light sources. Although this ecological light pollution is damaging ecosystems throughout the world, the topic has received relatively little attention. Many nocturnally migrating birds die or lose a large amount of their energy reserves during migration as a result of encountering artificial light sources. This happens, for instance, in the North Sea, where large numbers of nocturnally migrating birds are attracted to the many offshore platforms. Our aim is to develop bird-friendly artificial lighting that meets human demands for safety but does not attract and disorient birds. Our current working hypothesis is that artificial light interferes with the magnetic compass of the birds, one of several orientation mechanisms and especially important during overcast nights. Laboratory experiments have shown the magnetic compass to be wavelength dependent: migratory birds require light from the blue-green part of the spectrum for magnetic compass orientation, whereas red light (visible long-wavelength) disrupts magnetic orientation. We designed a field study to test if and how changing light color influenced migrating birds under field conditions. We found that nocturnally migrating birds were disoriented and attracted by red and white light (containing visible long-wavelength radiation), whereas they were clearly less disoriented by blue and green light (containing less or no visible longwavelength radiation). This was especially the case on overcast nights. Our results clearly open perspective for the development of bird-friendly artificial lighting by manipulating wavelength characteristics. Preliminary results with an experimentally developed bird-friendly light source on an offshore platform are promising. What needs to be investigated is the impact of bird-friendly light on other organisms than birds.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Brogan & Partners are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Environmental Health Perspectives. Disease development in flounder (Platichthysflesus) was studied over a period of 3 years in three large mesocosms (40 m x 40 m x 3 m). Two of the mesocosms contained clean sand and the third, sharing a common water circulation with one of the cean-sand mesocosms, was stocked with contaminated dredged spoil. In this way, one of the clean-sand mesocosms was indirectly polluted via the water phase, and analysis of contaminant concentrations in sediments and flounder tissues showed that it had a status intermediate between the other two. Random samples of the flounder populations from the indirectly polluted and reference mesocosms were examined every 2 months for epidermal diseases (lymphocystis, skin ulcers, fin rot) and then released. In addition, every 6 months, random samples of fish from all three mesocosms were sacrificed for histological and chemical investigation. With regard to the development of epidermal disease, the results showed little difference between the reference mesocosm and the indirectly polluted mesocosm, with the exception that lymphocystis was significantly elevated in the indirectly polluted mesocosm. Although pollution may be a risk factor in the etiology of this disease, such a relationship would probably be obscured under field conditions due to variation arising from other factors. Histopathological analysis of the livers revealed in total four cases of hepatocellular adenoma (1.5% of sampled populations) in fish from the polluted mesocosms, the first occurring after 2.5 years of exposure in fish from the indirectly polluted mesocosm. Furthermore, several other liver lesions, including foci of cellular alteration and hydropic vacuolated lesions, developed during the course of the experiment before tumor formation was apparent. Prevalences of these conditions were very much lower in the reference mesocosm than in the two polluted mesocosms. Densities of melanomacrophage centers in the liver showed a similar trend. The findings clearly indicate that long-term exposure to chemically contaminated dredged spoil can induce liver neoplasia and other liver lesions in flounder at contaminant levels comparable to those found in the natural environment.

VER 60 MILLION BIRDS, OF MANY species, cross the North Sea twice eachyear. Light has a significant impact on migratory birds at sea as it can attract and trap birds at large illuminated structures such as offshore platforms. In this article, we study the behavior of birds around offshore platforms and test the effect of the presence of lighting, the intensity and type of lights, and the light color on bird behavior. We developed a "bird-friendly" light spectrum that can be applied offshore to provide safe lighting for both humans and birds. We present the results of a field demonstration test involving the exchange of lights to the new color on a gas production platform. We also demonstrate our system's compliance with explosion safety requirements. It is expected that the bird-friendly lighting will become the new standard for any installation situated in areas with bird migration. 56

A prototype scenario assessment was carried out with help of a DP-S-I-R framework to provide an outline forward look at the European coastal areas. Impacts of change were assessed for the following major sectoral or cross-sectoral drivers: climate change, agriculture/forestry, urbanisation, tourism, industry and trade, fishery and shellfish fishery, and energy. The present situation was tabulated prior to an outline of the impacts of three scenarios, i.e. (1) a world market perspective, (2) global sustainability and (3) environmental stewardship. From twelve identified impact categories, three were judged to be of particular significance in the present situation: habitat loss (including coastal squeeze); changes in biodiversity; and the loss of fisheries productivity. A group of three impacts -eutrophicationrelated effects, contamination-related effects and coastal erosion -were all judged to be of moderate importance in most areas. All others were allocated only local importance. The analysis suggests that the major current drivers will still play the dominant role, augmented by climate change. Drivers and impacts intensities usually increase under the perspective of a more globalised world (scenario 1) and usually decrease through better management, mitigation and adaptation measures of scenarios 2 and 3. Under scenario 1, the eastern countries (Black Sea and Baltic Sea areas) are particularly prone to eutrophication and contamination impacts, as well as habitat and biodiversity loss, due to expansion of mass tourism eastwards, together with intensification of agriculture and aquaculture. Under scenario 2 more stringent regulations and management reduce environmental impacts. Under scenario 3 impacts are reduced through decentralisation, although this may also result in sub-optimal management (local fragmentation).

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