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I'm a bit puzzled by the methodology. I didn't notice any mention in the paper if the exposed EMF was meant to be similar to a surface-laid cable, or one that is buried.

In any case, it is certainly the case that subsea power cables for offshore wind farms are buried (up to meters deep) or otherwise overlaid by rock or other materials to protect them from damage, scour, anchor strikes, etc.

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I'm not sure how they could possibly control against confounding chemical explanations, either. Surely high voltage lines warm the nearby water, which undoubtedly leads to chemical changes that could affect small larvae.

They must have had a control tank with the wire in, but no current in it.

Of course aquarium heaters are a familiar feature everywhere, undoubtedly there too, with temperature held constant.

The control for heating would have to be a wire with a much higher resistance and thus smaller current but same heat dissipation.

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