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

In the brackish sea off the Germany's coast sits a wasteland of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Thrown off boats at the conclusion of the World War II and forgotten about, countless explosives have become matted together over the decades. They create a decaying layer on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the decades, the wartime weapons was ignored and forgotten about. A increasing amount of visitors flocked to the coastal areas and calm waters for jetskiing, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Below the waves, the munitions decayed.

We initially thought to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all toxic, says Andrey Vedenin.

When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were affecting to the ecosystem, the team thought they would find a barren area, with no life because it was all contaminated, explains a scientist.

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

Thousands of marine animals had made their homes among the explosives, developing a regenerated marine community denser than the ocean bottom nearby.

This underwater metropolis was testament to the tenacity of life. It is actually astonishing how much marine organisms we find in places that are supposed to be hazardous and dangerous, he states.

In excess of 40 starfish had clustered on to one exposed chunk of TNT. They were dwelling on steel casings, fuse pockets and storage boxes just a short distance from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and bivalves were all discovered on the historic weapons. You could compare it with a reef ecosystem in terms of the abundance of animal life that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin.

Unexpected Population Density

An mean of more than forty thousand animals were residing on every meter squared of the explosives, scientists reported in their paper on the discovery. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only eight thousand organisms on every meter squared.

It is ironic that objects that are designed to destroy everything are drawing so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. One can observe how nature evolves after a catastrophic event such as the World War II and how, in some way, life finds its way to the most risky areas.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Environments

Man-made constructions such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and undersea pipes can offer replacements, compensating for some of the removed marine environment. This research reveals that explosives could be equally beneficial – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be duplicated elsewhere.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tons of arms were discarded off the Germany's shoreline. Countless of workers placed them in barges; some were placed in designated areas, others just thrown overboard en route. This is the initial instance researchers have recorded how ocean organisms has reacted.

Global Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, retired oil and gas structures have become coral reefs
• Shipwrecks from the World War I have become environments for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to coral off Asan beach in Guam

These places become even more important for wildlife as the seas are increasingly denuded by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Shipwrecks and weapons dump sites essentially serve as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. As a result a lot of marine species that are usually uncommon or diminishing, such as the Baltic cod, are prospering.

Future Considerations

Anywhere warfare has occurred in the recent history, adjacent waters are often littered with explosives, says Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of explosive material remain in our seas.

The locations of these munitions are poorly recorded, partly because of national borders, restricted defense data and the reality that documents are buried in historic archives. They create an explosion and security danger, as well as risk from the ongoing release of hazardous substances.

As the German government and different states embark on clearing these remains, experts aim to safeguard the marine communities that have developed around them. In the Lübeck Bay weapons are presently being extracted.

We should replace these steel remains remaining from weapons with certain less dangerous, some non-dangerous structures, like maybe man-made habitats, suggests Vedenin.

He now hopes that what transpires in Lübeck creates a example for replacing structures after munitions removal in other locations – because even the most damaging armaments can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.