Basic assessment of light pollution in marine protected areas
Abstract
Light pollution indicator maps for the Special Protection Areas (SPA) of the marine Natura 2000 network managed by the central government of the kingdom of Spain.
Full text
Zenodo doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 Technical Report Series 2025.1.v1 Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, except where otherwise noted. © The authors, 2025. For a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Other contents may have different copyright terms. Basic assessment of light pollution in marine protected areas Salvador Bará 1 and Fabio Falchi 2,3 1 Former profesor titular at Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (retired), Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Galicia (Spain) 2 ICA, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 03 Bratislava, Slovakia 3 ISTIL Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dell’Inquinamento Luminoso – Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute; Thiene, Italy e-mail: salva.bar[email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1274-8043 [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3706-5639 Abstract: Artificial light at night propagates in the terrestrial atmosphere, either directly or through scattering processes, altering the natural darkness of the nighttime environment at long distances from the light sources. This gives rise to disruptive effects at multiple biological scales, from individual organisms to ecosystems. Marine protected areas across the world are affected by the light emitted in the coastal territories as well as by lights from off-shore installations and vessels. Light pollution indicators of ecological significance include the radiance at the zenith of the sky, the average radiance of the celestial hemisphere, the average radiance in the horizon region (0°–10° above the horizon) and the horizontal irradiance, produced by the artificial light. We present in this work a set of light pollution indicator maps for the Special Protection Areas (SPA) of the marine Natura 2000 network managed by the central government of the kingdom of Spain. This type of maps may be useful for evaluating ecological impacts also in terrestrial areas. Keywords: light pollution; nature restoration; biodiversity; radiometry; Natura 2000 1. Public consultation on Special Protected Areas of the marine Natura 2000 network In July 2025 the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain (MITECO) issued a public consultation, open to all interested parties, to promote public participation prior to the drafting of the Management Plans of the Special Protection Areas (SPA) of the marine Natura 2000 network belonging to its jurisdiction (MITECO, 2025a). This consultation addressed the SPA ( Zonas de Especial Protección de Aves, ZEPA ) subset listed in Table 1. The basic description of each protected space can be found in MITECO (2025b). GIS shapefiles of the area boudaries are available at MITECO (2025c). It is worth recalling that,
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 2 besides these areas under direct responsibility of the central government, there are many other SPA in the kingdom of Spain under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Communities, which were not affected by this call. Artificial light at night is a known environmental pollutant (Bará and Falchi, 2023), and its effects on marine areas are widely documented in the scientific literature (see, among others, Davies et al. (2014, 2015, 2016), Miller and Rice (2023), Smyth et al. (2021, 2022), Tidau et al. (2021)). Other relevant references on this topic can be found in the comprehensive and updated "Artificial Light At Night Research Literature Database" (https://alandb.darksky.org/), to which interested readers are referred for in-depth information on the ecological effects of artificial light in the nighttime environment. The SPA Management Plans should include detailed provisions to reduce the light pollution levels to values that do not compromise the integrity of the natural night and the preservation/restoration of its biodiversity. 2. Light pollution maps for the SPA of the marine Natura 2000 network To contribute to this public consultation and to assist in the elaboration of proposals to keep under control the negative effects of artificial light at night on these protected spaces, we prepared a set of maps showing several light pollution indicators of ecological significance. These maps include, for the Iberian peninsula region, the geographical distribution of the zenith brightness (radiance, in units W/m2/sr), the average brightness of the sky hemisphere, the average brightness in the horizon rim (averaged between altitudes 0°–10° above the horizon and all azimuths) and the horizontal irradiance (units W/m2). The calculations were made for the Johnson-Cousins photometric V band, according to the methodology described in Falchi and Bará (2021), with the updates developed in Falchi (2024). For the Canary Islands region only the artificial zenith sky brightness in the V band is provided, as calculated by Falchi et al. (2016, 2016b). The values of the remaining linear indicators can be estimated for these islands by means of their corresponding Posch ratios (Bará et al, 2022; Pérez-Couto et al, 2023). The maps show the light pollution component due to the artificial light scattered in the atmosphere produced by stable light sources (i.e. excluding vessels and other non-permanent lights). Other relevant contributions, like those due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been previously scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols, have not been included in this report. The reason is that these direct radiance effects are strongly dependent on the specific distribution of the lamps and obstacles in each site, and no detailed micro-scale information on these parameters was easily available at this time. The total brightness of the nightime environment is the sum of the artificial contribution and the natural brightness of the pristine starry sky, whose values can be estimated by using suitable sky models as, e.g., the GAMBONS one developed by Masana et al (2021, 2022). These light pollution maps are accompanied by night lights images acquired by the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP (Elvidge et al. 2017, 2021; Román et al. 2018; Wang et al. 2022), showing the distribution of the artificial light sources affecting each
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 3 protected area. The yearly composites AllAngle/SnowFree of the Black Marble VNP46A4 product of the year 2023 were used for illustrating these distributions (Wang et al. 2022). In the following pages we reproduce the individual SPA map reports as they were prepared, keeping their original structure and format (texts translated to English). The Management Plans proposals will be described in a separate work. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funder Information Declared No specific funding was assigned to this work References Bará S, Pérez-Couto X, Falchi F, Kocifaj M, Masana E. 2022. Estimating linear radiance indicators from the zenith night sky brightness: on the Posch ratio for natural and light polluted skies. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 512 (2), 2125–2134. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac410 Bará S, Falchi F. 2023. Artificial light at night: a global disruptor of the night-time environment. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20220352. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0352 Davies TW, Duffy JP, Bennie J, Gaston KJ. 2014. The nature, extent, and ecological implications of marine light pollution. Front. Ecol. Environ. 12(6): 347–355. https://doi.org/10.1890/130281 Davies TW, Coleman M, Griffith KM, Jenkins SR. 2015. Night-time lighting alters the composition of marine epifaunal communities. Biol. Lett. 11:20150080. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0080 Davies TW, Duffy JP, Bennie J, Gaston KJ. 2016. Stemming the Tide of Light Pollution Encroaching into Marine Protected Areas. Conserv. Lett. 9(3):164–171. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12191 Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Zhizhin M, Hsu FC, Ghosh T. 2017. VIIRS night-time lights. Int J Remote Sens 38 (21), 5860-5879. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2017.1342050 Elvidge CD, Zhizhin M, Ghosh T, Hsu FC, Taneja J. 2021. Annual Time Series of Global VIIRS Nighttime Lights Derived from Monthly Averages: 2012 to 2019. Remote Sens. 13: 922. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13050922 Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness. Sci. Adv. 2: e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016b. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Nat. Sci. 1: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 4 Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# Masana E, Carrasco JM, Bará S, Ribas SJ. 2021. A multi-band map of the natural night sky brightness including Gaia and Hipparcos integrated starlight. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 501, 5443–5456. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa4005 Masana E, Bará S, Carrasco JM, Ribas SJ. 2022. An enhanced version of the Gaia map of the brightness of the natural sky. Int. J. Sustain. Light. (2022) 1-12. https://doi.org/10.26607/ijsl.v24i1.119 Miller CR, Rice AN. 2023. A synthesis of the risks of marine light pollution across organismal and ecological scales. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst., 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4011 MITECO. 2025a. Consulta Pública Previa para la elaboración participada de los Planes de Gestión de ZEPAS de la Red Natura 2000 marina, competencia del MITECO . (Accessed Sept 28th, 2025) https://www.miteco.gob.es/en/biodiversidad/participacion-publica/cpp-planes-gestionrn2k.html MITECO. 2025b. https://www.miteco.gob.es/content/dam/miteco/es/biodiversidad/participacionpublica/anexos/cpp/cpp-pg-zepa.pdf (Accessed Sept. 29th, 2025) MITECO. 2025c. Red de Áreas Marinas Protegidas de España (RAMPE). https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cartografia-y-sig/ide/descargas/biodiversidad/rampe.html (Accessed Sept. 29th, 2025) Pérez-Couto X, Falchi F, Bará S. 2023. On the Posch ratio for irradiance in coastal waters and the high seas. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf. 298 :108503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2023.108503 arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.02986 Román MO, Wang Z, Sun Q, Kalb V, Miller SD, Molthan A, et al. 2018. NASA's Black Marble nighttime lights product suite. Remote Sens Environ 210: 113-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.03.017 Smyth TJ, Wright AE, McKee D, Tidau S, Tamir R, Dubinsky Z, Iluz D, Davies TW. 2021. A global atlas of artificial light at night under the sea. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00049 Smyth TJ, Wright AE, Edwards-Jones A, McKee D, Queirós A, Rendon O, Tidau S, Davies TW. 2022. Disruption of marine habitats by artificial light at night from global coastal megacities. Elem Sci Anth, 10: 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00042 Tidau S, Smyth T, McKee D, Wiedenmann J, D’Angelo C, Wilcockson D, Ellison A, Grimmer AJ, Jenkins SR, Widdicombe S, Queirós AM, Talbot E, Wright A, Davies TW. 2021. Marine artificial light at night: An empirical and technical guide. Methods Ecol. Evol., 12, 1588– 1601. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13653 Wang Z, Shrestha RM, Román MO, Kalb VL. 2022. NASA’s Black Marble Multiangle Nighttime Lights Temporal Composites. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett. 19:1-5, 2022. Art no. 2505105, https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2022.3176616.
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 5 Table 1. Special Protection Areas of the marine Natura 2000 network subject to consultation Code Name ES0000490 E.M. Ría de Mundaka-Cabo de Ogoño ES0000492 E.M. de Islotes de Portios - Isla Conejera - Isla de Mouro ES0000500 Golfo de Cádiz ES0000501 E.M.Tinto y del Odiel ES0000502 E.M. Estrecho Occidental ES0000504 Bahía de Málaga-Cerro Gordo ES0000507 E.M. Islotes litorales de Murcia y Almería ES0000508 E.M. Tabarca-Cabo de Palos ES0000510 Plataforma-talud marinos del cabo de la Nao ES0000512 E.M. del Delta de l‘Ebre – Illes Columbretes ES0000513 E.M. del Baix Llobregat - Garraf ES0000514 E.M. de l'Empordà ES0000515 E.M. de Formentera y sur de Ibiza ES0000516 E.M. del poniente y norte de Ibiza ES0000517 E.M. del levante de Ibiza ES0000518 E.M. del Sur de Mallorca y Cabrera ES0000519 E.M. del poniente de Mallorca ES0000520 E.M. del norte de Mallorca ES0000521 E.M. del norte y oeste de Menorca ES0000522 E.M. del sureste de Menorca ES0000523 E.M. de la zona occidental del Hierro ES0000524 E.M. de los Roques de Salmor ES0000525 E.M. del norte de la Palma ES0000526 E.M. de La Gomera-Teno ES0000527 E.M. de los acantilados de Santo Domingo y Roque de Garachico ES0000528 E.M. del Roque de la Playa ES0000529 E.M. de Anaga ES0000530 E.M. de Mogan - La Aldea ES0000531 E.M. de La Bocayna ES0000554 Corredor Migratorio Galaico-cantábrico Occidental ESZZ16016 E.M. de la Costa Central Catalana (SPA proposal in process)
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 6 ZEPA ES0000490 Espacio Marino de la Ría de Mundaka-Cabo de Ogoño Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 7 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v04.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 8 ZEPA ES0000492 Espacio Marino de los Islotes de Portios-Isla Conejera-Isla de Mouro Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 9 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v04.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 16 ZEPA ES0000507 Espacio marino de los Islotes Litorales de Murcia y Almería Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 17 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v05.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 18 ZEPA ES0000508 Espacio marino de Tabarca-Cabo de Palos Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 19 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v05.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 20 ZEPA ES0000510 Plataforma-talud marinos del Cabo de la Nao Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 21 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v05.tif AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v05.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 22 ZEPA ES0000512 Espacio marino del Delta de l’Ebre-Illes Columbretes Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 23 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v04.tif AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v05.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 24 ZEPA ES0000513 Espacio marino del Baix Llobregat-Garraf Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 25 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v04.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 32 ZEPA ES0000521 Espacio marino del norte y oeste de Menorca ZEPA ES0000522 Espacio marino del sureste de Menorca Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 33 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting these zones (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v04.tif AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h18v05.tif
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 34 ZEPA ES0000523 Espacio marino de la zona occidental de El Hierro ZEPA ES0000524 Espacio marino de los Roques de Salmor Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band, which is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting these zones (year 2023): REFERENCES: [1] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, Sci. Adv. 2, e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 [2] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. DOI:10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h16v06.tif This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 35 ZEPA ES0000525 Espacio marino del norte de La Palma Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023): REFERENCES: [1] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, Sci. Adv. 2, e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 [2] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. DOI:10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h16v06.tif This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 36 ZEPA ES0000526 Espacio marino de La Gomera-Teno ZEPA ES0000527 Espacio marino de los Acantilados de Santo Domingo y Roque de Garachico ZEPA ES0000528 Espacio marino del Roque de la Playa ZEPA ES0000529 Espacio marino de Anaga Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting these zones (year 2023): REFERENCES: same as in the ZEPA ES0000525 Espacio marino del norte de La Palma report. This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 37 ZEPA ES0000530 Espacio marino de Mogán-La Aldea Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023): REFERENCES: [1] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, Sci. Adv. 2, e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 [2] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. DOI:10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h16v06.tif This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 38 ZEPA ES0000531 Espacio marino de La Bocayna Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023): REFERENCES: [1] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, Sci. Adv. 2, e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 [2] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. DOI:10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h16v06.tif This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 39 ZEPA ES0000532 Espacio marino de los islotes de Lanzarote Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere Artificial zenith radiance The map shows the artificial zenith sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and is a general indicator of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. It corresponds to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and does not include the important additional exposure derived from the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having been scattered by the atmospheric components. Light pollution - artificial light sources Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023): REFERENCES: [1] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, Sci. Adv. 2, e1600377, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377 [2] Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CCM, Elvidge CD, Baugh K, Portnov B, Rybnikova NA, Furgoni R. Supplement to: The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. GFZ Data Services 2016. DOI:10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001 [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h16v06.tif This image, obtained with the VIIRSDNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa. gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3].
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 40 ZEPA ES0000554 Corredor Migratorio Galaico-Cantábrico Occidental Light pollution - artificial light scattered in the atmosphere A. Artificial zenith radiance B. Average artif. radiance of the upper hemisphere C. Average radiance at 0°–10° above the horizon D. Horizontal irradiance on the water surface Maps A, B, and C show the artificial sky brightness (radiance, W/m2/sr) in the Johnson-Cousins V photometric band and are general indicators of the level of artificial light intrusion into the environment. The values are indicated in color code as a fraction of the natural nocturnal radiance at the zenith, in an environment not polluted by artificial light [Refs. 1-2]. Map D shows the horizontal irradiance (W/m2) due to the artificial sky brightness in the same photometric band. The color code indicates in this case the values in terms of fractions of the natural horizontal irradiance that would be observed in a nocturnal environment uncontaminated by artificial light. These four maps correspond to the artificial light scattered by the atmosphere and do not include the important additional exposure
Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17260533 | 41 due to the direct radiance of the sources that reaches each point of the protected area without having previously been scattered by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols. Light pollution - artificial light sources E. Artificial light sources affecting this zone (year 2023) This image, obtained with the VIIRS-DNB radiometer on board the satellite Suomi-NPP, is available from the Level-1 & Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/), and corresponds to the product VNP46A4 [Ref. 3]. REFERENCES: [1] Methodology: Falchi F, Bará S. 2021. Computing light pollution indicators for environmental assessment. Natural Sciences 2021: e10019. https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.10019 [2] Updated results: Falchi F. 2024. Mapping light pollution with integrated indicators derived from all-sky hemispheric radiance data. PhD Thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/mostrarRef.do?ref=2511522# [3] Image VIIRS-DNB: AllAngle_Composite_Snow_FreeVNP46A4.A2023001.h17v04.tif