Abstract
This study sought to evaluate and quantify behavioral responses by sub-adult Atlantic Sturgeon to generated M/EM fields under controlled (laboratory) conditions, based on the study objectives outlined below. The study was to attempt to emulate the EMF conditions that migratory fishes might encounter near proposed marine HV sources originating from the Virginia WEA. By designing, building, and testing an EMF generator capable of producing a range of fields comparable to fields that might be experienced by Atlantic Sturgeon under natural conditions and in the vicinity of HV cables the research team exposed experimental animals to generated EMFs and measure responses based on a suite of simple behaviors under control and EMF conditions. This is the first published study to experimentally evaluate the effects of M/EM fields from submarine HV cables on Atlantic Sturgeon behavior. Results of the study suggest that, under laboratory conditions, the types and ranges of M/EM fields to which Atlantic Sturgeon were exposed in the laboratory did not result in biologically relevant changes to simple behaviors in sub-adult individuals. Hence, these results are not consistent with the hypothesis that localized M/EM fields from anthropogenic sources—specifically benthic HV cables—in coastal ocean habitats may negatively impact behavior of migrating or foraging wild Atlantic Sturgeon.