World War II Bombs, Torpedoes and Mines: How Ocean Creatures Thrives on Abandoned Armaments

In the slightly salty waters off the German shoreline lies a graveyard of World War II explosives, torpedoes and mines. Dumped from vessels at the conclusion of the World War II and forgotten about, thousands explosives have fused into clusters over the decades. They create a corroding blanket on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western tip of the Baltic.

Over the decades, the wartime weapons was ignored and neglected. A increasing amount of tourists traveled to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the munitions deteriorated.

Researchers expected to see a lifeless zone, with no life because it was all contaminated, says a scientist.

When the team went investigating to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, researchers thought they would find a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, explains a scientist.

What they observed surprised them. Vedenin recalls his colleagues shouting with surprise when the submersible first sent the images back. This was a memorable occasion, he notes.

Numerous of sea creatures had settled amid the weapons, developing a revitalized marine community denser than the seabed around it.

This underwater metropolis was testament to the tenacity of life. Truly surprising how much marine organisms we find in locations that are supposed to be toxic and harmful, he explains.

Over 40 starfish had piled on to one visible fragment of TNT. They were residing on iron containers, fuse pockets and storage boxes just a short distance from its explosive filling. Fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and mussels were all observed on the historic weapons. It resembles a marine reef in terms of the abundance of fauna that was there, notes Vedenin.

Unexpected Creature Concentration

An mean of more than forty thousand animals were residing on every meter squared of the munitions, researchers wrote in their study on the observation. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only 8,000 organisms on every square metre.

It is surprising that items that are meant to eliminate all life are drawing so much marine organisms, states Vedenin. One can observe how nature evolves after a devastating occurrence such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life returns to the most hazardous areas.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Habitats

Man-made constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can provide replacements, restoring some of the destroyed marine environment. This research demonstrates that weapons could be comparably advantageous – the explosion of life on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be duplicated in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were dumped off the German coast. Thousands of individuals transported them in vessels; some were deposited in specific sites, others just discarded at sea en route. This is the initial instance scientists have documented how ocean organisms has adapted.

Global Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned oil and gas structures have transformed into reef ecosystems
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become homes for wildlife along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan in Guam

These locations become even more crucial for marine life as the seas are increasingly stripped by fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and munitions areas practically function as refuges – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is banned, says Vedenin. As a result a many of marine species that are otherwise scarce or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are prospering.

Coming Considerations

Wherever military conflict has occurred in the recent history, surrounding seas are usually containing munitions, states Vedenin. Millions of tons of volatile compounds remain in our oceans.

The positions of these weapons are insufficiently mapped, partially because of international boundaries, restricted defense data and the fact that records are buried in old files. They present an explosion and security risk, as well as threat from the ongoing leakage of hazardous substances.

As Germany and additional nations begin clearing these artifacts, scientists aim to protect the habitats that have formed nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are already being removed.

We should replace these iron structures originating from weapons with certain more secure, various safe structures, like perhaps man-made habitats, says Vedenin.

He now wishes that what happens in Lübeck sets a example for substituting structures after explosive extraction in different areas – because including the most harmful explosives can become foundation for marine organisms.