EMF (Electromagnetic Field) Impacts on American Eel Movement and Migration

As offshore wind (OSW) and plans for electrical transmission advances in the USA, an increase in high voltage subsea cables will occur within coastal and offshore waters. The proliferation of subsea cables in coastal waters increases the potential for magnetoreceptive species, such as the migratory American eel (Anguilla rostrata), to encounter anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by cables. The consequences of encountering cable EMFs, for species using magnetoreception during longdistance migrations, is not known. This study focused on an existing subsea electrical cable, the Cross Sound Cable (Long Island Sound), as a proxy for future OSW high voltage direct current (HVDC) export cables. The components of the cable EMF were measured and characterized in situ, which enabled realistic modeling of the EMF. Importantly, the study accounted for the operational cable characteristics and interaction of the emitted EMF with the local geomagnetic field. The model was then used in conjunction with novel acoustic tagging technology, which provided fine-scale eel movement data, to derive the EMF encountered and assess the response of silver eels during their outward migration to sea.

USD: $694,511

2018-03-01 → 2020-03-31