The effects of exposure to a static magnetic field or AC magnetic field on the behaviour of juvenile lobsters should be investigated.
Data concerning the impact of magnetic fields generated by submarine power cables on marine invertebrates are scarce. Therefore, two tests with lobsters under exposure to magnetic fields were conducted: an avoidance/attraction test and a test for exploratory and shelter seeking behavior. For the avoidance/attraction test, lobsters were divided into the following groups: 1) exposure to the AC magnetic field (n=30), 2) exposure to the static magnetic field (n=31), 3) control group (n=31). For the experiment on exploratory and shelter seeking behavior, additional lobsters were divided into the following groups: 4) exposure to the AC magnetic field (n=38), 5) exposure to the static magnetic field (n=35), 6) control group (n=38).
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
| Exposure 1: |
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| Exposure 2: |
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| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | coils were constituted of 600 m of wire (conductor material composed of copper with a 2.5 mm2 section) rolled up around a 1.5 x 1.5 m wooden frame; the coils created an area of an homogeneous magnetic field in the center and an area of an decreasing magnetic field gradient in the periphery (used in avoidance/ attraction test); for the test for exploratory and shelter seeking behavior, lobsters were exposed to the homogeneous magnetic field; first, before the test in separate units (7.0 x 3.5 x 7.0 cm) inside a tank (40 x 30 x 10 cm) for one week; afterwards, they were exposed in another basin (66 x 14 x 7 cm) with a shelter of different colors (different levels of difficulty); for the avoidance/attraction test, a tank (125 x 14 x 7 cm) was placed within the gradient magnetic field divided into 4 zones with two shelters, one in the area with the highest and one in the area with the lowest magnetic flux density |
| Sham exposure | A sham exposure was conducted. |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 225 µT | maximum | - | - | ± 5 μT |
| Exposure source |
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|---|
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 225 µT | maximum | - | - | ± 5 μT |
No significant differences were found between the exposure groups (groups 1 and 2 as well as groups 4 and 5) and the respective control groups (groups 3 and 6).
The authors concluded that no effects of exposure to a static magnetic field or AC magnetic field on the behaviour of juvenile lobsters were found.
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