Long-term exposure to artificial light at night lowers survival and growth in wild coral reef fish

Long-term exposure (18-23 months) to artificial light at night reduced survival by 36% and growth by 44% in juvenile orange-fin anemonefish.

• Artificial light at night is increasingly recognized as a pollutant in marine environments.
• Underwater illuminance of 4.3 lux negatively impacted juvenile anemonefish compared to exposure to natural moonlight (0.03 lux).
• The study highlights both immediate mortality risks and potential long-term fitness consequences due to reduced growth in surviving fish.
• The findings suggest that chronic light pollution could disrupt life-history traits of marine species.

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