Effect of low frequency electromagnetic field on the behavior and bioenergetics of the polychaete Hediste diversicolor

A current synthesis on the effects of electric and magnetic fields emitted by submarine power cables on invertebrates

“…No difference was detected between the spatial patterns of the two treatments in the 22 h following the 1.5 h exposure duration. This result was also confirmed by the experiment of Jakubowska et al (2019) with different magnetic fields (up to 1 mT 50 Hz, AC) over 8 days.…”

“…When reviewing the existing literature, we chose to make a clear distinction between the processes studied at the physiological and behavioural levels, since they were generally not considered together. In contrast to fish species (Formicki and Perkowski, 1998;Sedigh et al, 2019), in three distinct publications, none of the physiological parameters (e.g., oxygen consumption, respiration rate, food consumption) measured to detect stress responses were altered in the three crustaceans and the single polychaetes species studied (see Bochert and Zettler, 2006;Jakubowska et al, 2019;Scott et al, 2018). Then, Scott et al (2018), working on Cancer pagurus crab, also suggested that magnetic fields might impair the secretion of D-Lactacte and D-Glucose enzymes, which are under the control of melatonin, a well-known hormone implied to act on biological rhythms of invertebrates (i.e., seasonal reproduction, moulting, and activity rhythms).…”

“…The burrowing behaviour in many invertebrate species, assessed through burial depth and sediment reworking activity, is considered to be a very sensitive indicator of sediment toxicity or water-borne toxicant (Boyd et al, 2002). In the lab, Jakubowska et al (2019) observed that larger amounts of tracer particles (i.e., fractionated dyed sand added to the sediment surface at the start of the experiment) were found deeper (below 3 cm) after 8 days in the sediment of cores exposed to an alternating magnetic field (1 mT at 50 Hz, Helmholtz coil system) compared to control cores, both containing H. diversicolor adults. This observation could not be explained by exposed individuals going deeper into the sediment, since they reached a maximal depth similar to control ragworms.…”

“…The recent laboratory study of Jakubowska et al (2019) was conducted on marine ragworm (Hediste diversicolor) exposed to a magnetic field over an 8-day period (up to 1 mT at 50 Hz AC). Whereas food consumption and respiration rates did not significantly change, the ammonia excretion rate significantly decreased for exposed worms compared to control worms.…”

“…When considering behavioural responses, field studies mainly conducted on teleost fish species revealed no evidence that magnetic fields act as permanent barriers to long-range migrations of either Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), or European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) (Klimley et al, 2016;Öhman et al, 2007;Westerberg and Lagenfelt, 2008;Wyman et al, 2018). Testing the attraction-repulsion towards magnetic fields has been a goal for other studies, and these produced contrasting results between members of taxonomic groups (i.e., crustaceans, molluscs, fish, elasmobranchs, polychaetes) and different species (e.g., Bevelhimer et al, 2015Bevelhimer et al, , 2013Cada et al, 2011;Gill et al, 2009;Hutchison et al, 2018;Jakubowska et al, 2019;Scott et al, 2018).…”