World War II Munitions, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: How Marine Life Prosper on Dumped Armaments

In the slightly salty waters off the German coast rests a graveyard of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Thrown off barges at the end of the second world war and forgotten about, numerous weapons have become matted together over the years. They create a decaying layer on the low-depth, silty seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western tip of the Baltic.

Over the years, the Nazi arsenal was ignored and forgotten about. A growing number of tourists traveled to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kite surfing and amusement parks. Underwater, the weapons decayed.

Some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no life because it was all toxic, says a scientist.

When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were doing to the marine environment, the team expected to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all toxic, says a scientist.

What they found amazed them. Vedenin recalls his team members reacting with shock when the ROV first sent the images back. That moment was a memorable occasion, he recalls.

Numerous of ocean life had made their homes among the munitions, developing a regenerated marine community more populous than the seabed nearby.

This ocean community was testament to the persistence of marine life. It is actually astonishing how much life we discover in places that are supposed to be dangerous and dangerous, he states.

More than 40 starfish had gathered on to one visible chunk of explosive material. They were dwelling on steel casings, detonator compartments and transport cases just centimetres from its volatile core. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and mussels were all found on the historic weapons. You could compare it with a reef ecosystem in terms of the amount of fauna that was inhabiting the area, notes Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

An average of more than 40,000 organisms were living on every meter squared of the weapons, researchers wrote in their paper on the finding. The nearby seabed was much sparser, with only 8,000 organisms on every square metre.

It is paradoxical that objects that are intended to kill everything are hosting so much marine organisms, states Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world adapts after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, life returns to the most dangerous areas.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Environments

Artificial constructions such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and undersea pipes can create substitutes, restoring some of the removed habitat. This research shows that munitions could be similarly beneficial – the bloom of life on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be repeated in different areas.

Between the late 1940s and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of arms were dumped off the German coast. Thousands of individuals placed them in boats; some were dropped in specific areas, the remainder just dumped while traveling. This is the first time researchers have recorded how ocean organisms has adapted.

Worldwide Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the United States, retired energy installations have become marine habitats
• Submerged vessels from the first world war have become environments for wildlife along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan in the Pacific island

These places become even more important for marine life as the seas are increasingly denuded by fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations practically act as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is restricted, says Vedenin. Consequently a numerous of species that are usually uncommon or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving.

Coming Issues

Anywhere armed conflict has occurred in the recent history, nearby oceans are typically containing weapons, explains Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of explosive material remain in our seas.

The locations of these explosives are inadequately documented, partially because of national borders, classified military information and the fact that documents are hidden in historical records. They pose an explosion and security hazard, as well as danger from the continuous emission of toxic chemicals.

As the German government and additional nations embark on extracting these relics, experts plan to preserve the ecosystems that have established in their vicinity. In the Lübeck Bay weapons are currently being extracted.

It would be wise to replace these iron structures left from munitions with certain more secure, some harmless objects, like perhaps artificial reefs, says Vedenin.

He currently hopes that what occurs in Lübeck sets a example for substituting material after munitions removal elsewhere – because including the most destructive weaponry can become foundation for new life.