Dear all, Some colleagues and I are writing on the topic of polarized light pollution and its ecological impacts. We are looking for citations/references and photographs of birds that have mistakenly landed on asphalt parking lots. It Waterbirds occasionally mistake parking lots for water and this may be due to its strong polarization signature. I've found a few vague references to grebes, loons and dovekies doing this. Any photos or references would be appreciated.
Incidentally, other references to (or anecdotes about) potential ecological impacts related to polarized light pollution would be appreciated. For example, plastic bags floating in water have a polarization signature that may resemble that of jellyfish, ctenophores and other organisms. Given that several aquatic predators appear to be polarization sensitive, and that this could enhance their prey detection ability, polarization may explain plastic bag ingestion by sea turtles. I haven't yet looked to see how common ingestion of this kind of garbage is. Thanks for any help. Bruce Robertson Postdoctoral Fellow W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University 3700 East Gull Lake Drive Hickory Corners, MI 49060 [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 206-718-9172 (cell) 269-671-4485 (FAX) Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form --Vladimir Nabokov
