Offshore wind farm cables ‘mesmerise’ brown crabs

Underwater power cables mesmerise brown crabs and cause biological changes that could affect their migration habits, scientists have discovered.

The cables for offshore wind farms emit an electromagnetic field that attracts and largely immobilises the animals, a study of about 60 brown crabs at the St Abbs marine station in the Scottish Borders found.

The team at Heriot-Watt University warned that such inactivity could hit fishing markets, where the crabs are the UK’s second most valuable crustacean catch.