Australasian Dark Sky Alliance

WEBINAR - The Impacts of ALAN on Marine Environments
2026-02-17 10:30 - 11:30 (Australia/Sydney) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83443169525
Light at Night and Our Oceans with Mariana Mayer Pinto
Artificial light at night doesn’t just affect our skies—it reaches into our oceans, with profound impacts on marine life and coastal ecosystems. Join Professor Mariana Mayer Pinto, Impact Ambassador for the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, highlighted speaker at Valuing Darkness 2025, and 2025 Eureka Prize winner for her pioneering research on seawalls, as she explores how coastal environments are being transformed by light pollution.
From altering the behaviour of marine species to affecting entire ecosystems, Mariana’s work demonstrates why protecting natural darkness is critical for both healthy oceans and resilient coastal communities. This webinar is a unique opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s leading marine ecologists about the connections between our night skies and the health of our seas.
Don’t miss this chance to learn, ask questions, and discover what we can do to reduce light at night in our coastal areas.
Your Speaker
Mariana Mayer Pinto is a Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science at UNSW and 2025 Eureka Prize winner for her work on seawalls. She obtained her PhD in Marine Sciences from the University of Sydney (2009) and holds a MSc in Zoology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a private consultant, leading data analyses for one of Australia’s largest environmental projects—the Gorgon Project (Chevron). Mariana is also an Impact Ambassador for the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance and a highlighted speaker at Valuing Darkness 2025.
