Do Undersea Cables Impact Marine Life?

What’s the story?

• Marine scientists are beginning to wonder if undersea cables affect marine life more than previously thought. 
• There are tens of thousands of miles of cables on the sea floor, carrying data between continents and renewable power from offshore energy to land masses. These cables generate electromagnetic fields (EMF) that may impact the creatures living in or near the structures, such as anemones, sponges, corals, sea stars, urchins, worms, bivalves, crabs, and more. 
• As offshore energy sources grow, the number of cables is increasing. Scientists are concerned about the threats they pose to underwater life and worry we'll face another environmental condition caused by human infrastructure. 

What’s dangerous about undersea cables?

• On the ocean floor, there are both telecommunication cables and high-voltage power cables. The former cross the deep seas, while the latter are found closer to the shore. 
• There are around 380 telecommunication wires in the oceans, spanning 745,000 miles. They provide information pathways for more than 95% of international data. 
• The deep sea cables are surrounded by a few layers of metal for protection and are buried below the seafloor, which impacts the habitat. Bastien Toarmina, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, said this could lead to an imbalance ecosystem. 
• Scientists are also concerned about EMF, as it can distort the geomagnetic field that marine life relies on to navigate the oceans. Many believe more research needs to be done to understand the threat entirely. Taormina was the lead author of a study that found that the wire's EMF may impact animals that migrate along the continental shelves, but agrees more studies are needed. 

Should the cables be removed?

• Removing the cables could have potential benefits, but would most likely disrupt the ecosystem even more, especially the seafloor creatures that made their homes around the structures.
• These cables don’t pollute and can even be recycled. Nicole Starosielski, an associate professor at New York University who examines the cultural and environmental dimensions of undersea wires, said: 

“The carbon footprint is actually relatively low compared to most of the internet’s infrastructure. We’ve actually advocated for more cables, connected large onshore data centers on renewable grids, in order to minimize fossil fuel consumption.”

• Without the cables, small developing islands could not obtain green energy, telecommunications, remote work, e-medicine, etc. For now, scientists are unsure whether the environmental consequences outweigh the social benefits of undersea cables.

What do you think? Should we remove undersea cables to benefit marine life?

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: iStock/imaginima)