TY - RPRT
TI - Electromagnetic Field Impacts on American Eel Movement and Migration from Direct Current Cables
AU - Hutchison, Z
AU - Sigray, P
AU - Gill, A
AU - Michelot, T
AU - King, T
AB - The project was commissioned by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (USA) and had the overall aim to research the potential for impacts on American eel (Anguilla rostrata) migratory movement from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. Over the past few decades concerns have grown for freshwater eels (Anguillidae) owing to a significant global decline in numbers of all 16 species. The international effort to assist eel conservation is limited by a lack of knowledge on how human activities affect eels during their complex lifecycle, particularly the stage where they undertake large-scale migration from rivers, through coastal waters into the ocean to reproduce. These same coastal and marine waters are areas of rapid industrial expansion, with plans to install several thousand offshore wind turbines and associated subsea power cables.  In the USA, there is only one species of Anguillid eel, the American eel (A. rostrata), that has a broad geographical range across the northwest and western Atlantic. The USA eel population is presently considered stable, however, their geographical range overlaps with plans for large-scale offshore wind (OSW) energy development along the northeast Atlantic coast.  Therefore, the question of whether there will be environmental impacts for migrating eels is an important consideration, for both the management of the American eel population and the development of an environmentally responsible OSW industry in the US coastal and offshore waters. 
DA - 2021/12//
PY - 2021
SP - 146
PB - University of St Andrews
SN - BOEM 2021-83
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - EMF
KW - Fish
ER -