TY - JOUR
TI - Do electromagnetic fields from subsea power cables effect benthic elasmobranch behaviour? A risk-based approach for the Dutch Continental Shelf
AU - Hermans, A
AU - Winter, H
AU - Gill, A
AU - Murk, A
T2 - Environmental Pollution
AB - Subsea power cables cause electromagnetic fields (EMFs) into the marine environment. Elasmobranchs (rays, skates, sharks) are particularly sensitive to EMFs as they use electromagnetic-receptive sensory systems for orientation, navigation, and locating conspecifics or buried prey. Cables may intersect with egg laying sites, mating, pupping, and nursery grounds, foraging habitat and migration routes of elasmobranchs and the effects of encountering EMFs on species of elasmobranchs are largely unknown. Demonstrated behavioural effects are attraction, disturbance and indifference, depending on EMF characteristics, exposed life stage, exposure level and duration. We estimated exposure levels of elasmobranchs to subsea power cable EMFs, based on modelled magnetic fields in the Dutch Continental Shelf and compared these to reported elasmobranch sensory sensitivity ranges and experimental effect levels. We conclude that the risk from subsea power cables has a large uncertainty and varies per life stage and species ecology. Based on estimated no-observed effect levels (from 10−3 to 10−1 μT) we discuss what will probably be the most affected species and life stage for six common benthic elasmobranchs in the Southern North Sea. We then identify critical knowledge gaps for reducing the uncertainty in the risk assessments for EMFs effects on benthic elasmobranchs.
DA - 2024/04//
PY - 2024
VL - 346
SP - 123570
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749124002847
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123570
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - EMF
KW - Fish
ER -