Abstract

Overview

Subsea power cables produce electromagnetic fields (EMFs) within the marine environment, affecting sensitive elasmobranch species (rays, skates, sharks), known for their electromagnetic-receptive sensory capabilities used in orientation, navigation, and prey location. As cables may interfere with crucial biological areas like egg-laying sites, nursery grounds, and migration paths, the overarching impacts on elasmobranchs are still largely unexplored.

Findings

• Behavioral responses to EMFs were variable across species and included attraction, disturbance, and indifference, contingent upon factors like EMF characteristics, life stage exposed, exposure duration, and intensity.
• Exposure assessments compared elasmobranch sensory sensitivity ranges and experimental effect levels with modeled magnetic fields in the Dutch Continental Shelf, unveiling significant uncertainties in risk estimations which vary by species ecology and developmental stages.

Conclusion

The study identifies a wide range of uncertainty surrounding the risks posed by subsea power cables to marine life. Notable variations are observed depending on species-specific life stages. The research highlights critical knowledge gaps that necessitate further investigation to refine risk assessments of EMFs on benthic elasmobranchs.