April 30, 2022
U.K.

Lobsters left deformed by power cables

Lucinda Cameron | The Times | Saturday April 30 2022 | www.thetimes.co.uk

Lobsters exposed as eggs to the electromagnetic field of subsea power cables are more likely to develop deformities and swim poorly, a study suggests.

Marine scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and St Abbs Marine Station in the Borders used a specialist aquarium laboratory to expose 4,000 lobster and crab eggs to a field equivalent to that experienced near underwater cables.

Researchers found lobsters’ larvae exposed to the field were three times more likely to be deformed than those which were not. The most common deformities were bent and reduced tail sections while some had disrupted eye development or puffy and swollen bodies. They were also three times more likely to fail a test to swim to the surface to find food.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2022/04/30/lobsters-left-deformed-by-power-cables/

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