Crustacean photoreceptor damage and recovery: Applying a novel scanning electronic microscopy protocol in artificial light at night studies

As sources of artificial light at night (ALAN) expand worldwide, research on their impacts has also increased. Most of these studies, including those in coastal habitats, have focused on behavioral and ecological responses to ALAN, overlooking impacts on the photoreceptor, the basic functional structure of animals to absorb light. Examining structural changes in the photoreceptor is essential to understand the mechanisms by which ALAN may be impacting species, particularly those adapted to different light backgrounds. This study examined the photoreceptor (rhabdom) of two sandy beach crustaceans exhibiting different light tolerances at night: the amphipod Orchestoidea tuberculata and the isopod Tylos spinulosus. We developed a novel protocol to measure these species’ photoreceptor areas and quantify the damage caused by ALAN using histological sections and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results showed that in the isopod, a species naturally adapted to lower light intensities at..., To assess photoreceptor membrane loss and recovery, data were obtained from SEM photographs obtained from organisms exposed to ALAN (1 h) and recovery times (1 h and 24 hr). The photographs came from one randomly chosen eye, removed from one of the specimens associated with each experimental replicate.
 
These eyes were processed for scanning electron microscopy, in which the total area of the photoreceptor surface (Rhabdom) was estimated. Then, using several cross-sections of each rhabdom, the loss of surface photoreceptor membrane was quantified using Image Pro 6. Lastly, these estimations of the photoreceptor membrane loss were used to estimate averages per species and to conduct statistical comparisons., , # Data from: Crustacean photoreceptor damage and recovery: Applying a novel scanning electronic microscopy protocol in artificial light at night studies

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hdr7sqvrb](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hdr7sqvrb)

The dataset includes the percentage of photoreceptor damage caused by ALAN and the recovery of this structure after 1 and 24 hours. Additionally, the total photoreceptor area of both species (for interspecific comparisons) is provided.

## Description of the data and file structure

Data is provided in an Excel file with two tabs. 

The first tab, \"Photoreceptor membrane loss\" includes i) Species (i.e., Orchestoidea tuberculata and Tylos spinulosus), ii) Treatments (i.e., Control; 1 hr. of recovery and 24 hrs. of recovery), iii) Photoreceptor membrane loss (raw data in %), and iv) Log-transformed data used in the statistical analysis. 

The second tab, \"Photoreceptor areas\", contains i) Species (i.e., Orchestoidea tuberculata and Tylos spinulosus) and i...