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From subsea power cable to small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula: Behavioural effects of electromagnetic fields in tank experiments

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Hermans A, Maris T, Hubert J, Rochas C, Scott K, Murk AJ, Winter HV · 2025

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Small-spotted catsharks demonstrated minimal behavioral disruption to subsea cable EMF exposure, though direct current fields produced measurable changes in swimming behavior that warrant further investigation.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This study examined behavioral responses of small-spotted catsharks (Scyliorhinus canicula) exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) from subsea power cables at field-relevant levels. The sharks showed no startle response or avoidance behavior, but exhibited 25% less transit time during DC field exposure compared to AC and control conditions.

Why This Matters

Elasmobranchs rely on magnetic field perception for navigation and prey detection, making them potentially sensitive to artificial EMF sources. The study's use of Hidden Markov Models to analyze behavioral states provides a quantitative approach to detecting subtle behavioral shifts that might not be apparent from gross observations.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Hermans A, Maris T, Hubert J, Rochas C, Scott K, Murk AJ, Winter HV (2025). From subsea power cable to small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula: Behavioural effects of electromagnetic fields in tank experiments.
Show BibTeX
@article{hermans_a_maris_t_hubert_j_rochas_c_scott_k_murk_aj_winter_hv_ce4402,
  author = {Hermans A and Maris T and Hubert J and Rochas C and Scott K and Murk AJ and Winter HV},
  title = {From subsea power cable to small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula: Behavioural effects of electromagnetic fields in tank experiments},
  year = {2025},
  
  
}
PubMed: 40209621

Quick Questions About This Study

This appears to be a database categorization error. The RECOVERY trial studied antiviral medications for COVID-19 patients and contains no electromagnetic field research or EMF exposure data whatsoever.
The trial tested molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir antivirals in 1,060 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Neither drug improved 28-day survival rates or reduced hospital stays compared to standard care alone.
923 participants were enrolled in the molnupiravir comparison (445 treated, 478 control) and 137 in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir comparison (68 treated, 69 control). Both studies ended early due to low recruitment.
In the molnupiravir group, 17% died in both treatment and control groups. In the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group, 19% died in both treatment and control groups within 28 days.
Both antiviral comparisons were stopped due to low patient recruitment. This limited the statistical power to detect meaningful treatment benefits, particularly for the smaller nirmatrelvir-ritonavir study with only 137 participants.