Funded by the EU Horizon Europe Programme (along with UKRI), AquaPLAN is a €2.6 million, 4-year project that aims to quantify the combined impacts of Light and Noise Pollution (LNP) on aquatic biodiversity in European waters and facilitate the implementation of empirically sound strategies for managing these pollutants through novel interdisciplinary approaches.
“Currently, existing regulations on the emission of Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) and anthropogenic noise are highly fragmented in inland, coastal and offshore waters. Moreover, we still need good datasets to understand how to monitor, protect and restore aquatic biodiversity effectively. By engaging with stakeholder experts in aquatic biodiversity, light and noise pollution (LNP) and the maritime industry throughout the project, AquaPLAN will provide sound recommendations on efficient LNP mitigation options as well on how to face potential barriers to their applications”
– Elena Maggi, AquaPLAN Coordinator
The AquaPLAN consortium is led by University of Pisa (Italy) and comprises of a multi-actor, transdisciplinary team of 15 organisations from 10 countries.
Work Packages
Latest News & Events
AquaPLAN showcased in Pisa ahead of Biodiversity Week 2026
On 13 May 2026, the University of Pisa (UNIPI) hosted a well-attended seminar “Progetti e azioni per monitorare e proteggere la biodiversità vicino a noi…
Call for action from The Royal Astronomical Society to address light pollution
The RAS is calling for artificial light at night (ALAN) to be formally recognised as a pollutant, reflecting the growing scientific consensus on its damaging…
PLAN‑B invites public to explore light pollution mapping app “Lost at Night”
AquaPLAN is pleased to spotlight an upcoming initiative from our sister project, PLAN‑B, which is advancing innovative approaches to environmental monitoring through citizen science. PLAN‑B…
Seeing, hearing, and swimming: light and noise also pollute the oceans
When they hatch, loggerhead turtle hatchlings follow the light. For hundreds of thousands of years, they were guided by the faint glow of the stars and the…
Listening beneath the waves: AquaPLAN researchers feature on “Unchatted Waters” Podcast
What does the ocean really sound like? Far from being a silent world, the marine environment is alive with a rich and complex acoustic landscape,…
The Dark Side of Light
To continue AquaPLAN’s work on local outreach and environmental awareness regarding light pollution, our project’s coordinator from the University of Pisa, Elena Maggi, will attend…
Events
Keep up to date with all the latest from AquaPLAN