EU Brings In Israeli Marine Pollution Expert To Research Project 

Prof. Oren Levy, director of the Laboratory for Molecular Marine Ecology at Bar-Ilan University in central Israel, has been invited to join an European Union research project on the issue of marine light and noise pollution (LNP). 

AquaPLAN is a project funded by Horizon Europe, the EU’s key R&D program with a budget of over €95 billion, and coordinated by the University of Pisa in Italy. It aims to improve understanding of LNP’s impact on aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, coasts and offshore waters.

Levy will focus on light pollution in coral reefs in the Red Sea, in particular synchronized coral spawning – when the entire coral reef once a year simultaneously releases their gametes (eggs and sperm) into the water. 

This event, which is crucial for reef regeneration, can be disrupted by artificial light. 

Levy’s study also will examine the effects of light pollution on tropical fish and colonization patterns of invertebrates, and is designed to provide insight into the broader ecological impact of this phenomenon. 

The study will also examine the impact of noise pollution on the ecosystem. 

Researchers believe there is still much that is not known about the impact of LNP on aquatic ecosystems, and addressing those knowledge gaps could help reduce adverse effects of such pollution.  

Project coordinator Prof. Elena Maggi from the University of Pisa expressed concern over what she called “highly fragmented” legislation to control nighttime light pollution and man-made noise in inland, coastal and offshore waters. 

“We still need good datasets to understand how to monitor, protect and restore aquatic biodiversity effectively,” she said.