Sleiman, whose night-sky Everglades images were featured last year in the national park\u2019s visitor center, is concerned that the industrial lights emitting from the facility could harm the protected wildlife in a preserve globally recognized for its dark skies. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s not alone: The leading international authority that certifies \u201cdark sky\u201d parks says the artificial light from Alligator Alcatraz \u201cdirectly threatens\u201d the preserve\u2019s renowned natural darkness and disrupts endangered nocturnal wildlife. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of the latest environmental and human rights concerns stemming from the quickly built detention center in Collier County<\/a>. <\/p>\n After a rigorous process with the U.S. National Park Service, DarkSky International in 2016 designated Florida\u2019s Big Cypress National Preserve as the nation\u2019s first preserve to achieve \u201cdark sky\u201d status, meaning it\u2019s home to one of the last remaining reservoirs of darkness unimpeded by the glow of human development. <\/p>\n But the state\u2019s detention center, built for immigrant detainees<\/a>, runs counter to the preserve\u2019s commitment to protecting the darkness many species rely on, the group said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe development represents a significant step backward for dark sky conservation efforts in a region where considerable resources have been invested in Everglades restoration,\u201d the group said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. <\/p>\n \u201cProtecting the natural night environment is an integral part of broader ecosystem health and resilience.\u201d <\/p>\n Recent night-sky images from photographers like Sleiman and environmental advocates, taken over the past week, appear to depict the facility\u2019s glow more than a dozen miles from the site. Satellite imagery from NASA also shows the facility standing out amid dark wilderness on all sides. <\/p>\n Whether Big Cypress could keep its designation as a \u201cdark sky\u201d preserve depends on an annual review of light pollution data, according to Ruskin Hartley, executive director of DarkSky International. <\/p>\n Big Cypress is revered by astronomers, photographers and parkgoers as a nighttime sanctuary from the light pollution emitting from Miami to the east and Naples to the west. The park service boasts its views<\/a> with phrases like \u201cHalf the park is after dark!\u201d <\/p>\n Keep up with Tampa Bay\u2019s top headlines<\/p>\n Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter<\/p>\n We\u2019ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.<\/p>\n You\u2019re all signed\u00a0up!<\/p>\n Want more of our free, weekly newsletters\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0inbox? Let\u2019s\u00a0get\u00a0started.<\/strong><\/p>\n Explore all your options<\/a><\/p>\n Detainees of Alligator Alcatraz, who have told reporters<\/a> they are enduring inhumane conditions at the site, said the lights are on at the facility at all times. Critics of the detention facility have argued that not only is it cruel to house detainees in the heat of the swamp, but the state and federal government have also brushed aside environmental laws protecting the park. <\/p>\nAnthony Sleiman, a conservation photographer who documents the Florida Everglades, said he took this photo on the night of July 2. Sleiman said he could see the glow from the state’s Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center more than 15 miles away. [\u00a0Courtesy of Anthony Sleiman\u00a0]<\/p>\n
Aerial nighttime satellite imagery from NASA shows lights coming from the state’s immigration detention facility in Big Cypress National Preserve. [\u00a0NASA Worldview\u00a0]<\/p>\n