World War II Explosives, Torpedoes and Naval Mines: How Ocean Creatures Prosper on Abandoned Weapons

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast rests a graveyard of World War II explosives, torpedoes and mines. Discarded from vessels at the conclusion of the World War II and left behind, numerous explosives have become matted together over the years. They form a corroding layer on the shallow, muddy ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the wartime weapons was overlooked and neglected. A increasing amount of tourists flocked to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for water sports, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the weapons deteriorated.

Researchers anticipated to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says a scientist.

When the first scientists went looking to see what they were doing to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a barren area, with no life because it was all toxic, explains the lead researcher.

What they discovered astonished them. Vedenin remembers his colleagues shouting with surprise when the ROV first sent the images back. That moment was a memorable occasion, he says.

Thousands of marine animals had made their homes on the munitions, developing a regenerated habitat more populous than the ocean bottom around it.

This marine city was testament to the tenacity of marine life. Truly astonishing how much life we find in locations that are considered hazardous and risky, he explains.

More than 40 starfish had piled on to one exposed piece of TNT. They were living on metal shells, ignition chambers and storage boxes just a short distance from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crustaceans, anemones and bivalves were all discovered on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a coral reef in terms of the amount of creatures that was there, says Vedenin.

Unexpected Creature Concentration

An average of more than forty thousand organisms were residing on every square metre of the explosives, researchers reported in their research on the discovery. The adjacent region was much less diverse, with only 8,000 creatures on every meter squared.

It is ironic that things that are designed to destroy all life are hosting so much life, states Vedenin. You can see how the natural world adjusts after a catastrophic event such as the second world war and how, in some way, life establishes itself to the most hazardous places.

Man-made Features as Ocean Environments

Man-made constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and undersea pipes can provide alternatives, replacing some of the removed marine environment. This research shows that explosives could be similarly beneficial – the bloom of life on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be found in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of arms were dumped off the German coast. Thousands of individuals placed them in barges; some were placed in designated sites, others just dumped during transport. This is the initial instance scientists have studied how ocean organisms has reacted.

Global Examples of Ocean Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned energy installations have transformed into marine habitats
• Submerged vessels from the World War I have become environments for creatures along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan in the Pacific island

These locations become even more crucial for marine life as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and explosive disposal locations effectively serve as refuges – they are not national parks, but almost any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is prohibited, explains Vedenin. Consequently a many of organisms that are otherwise rare or diminishing, such as the cod fish, are prospering.

Coming Considerations

Anywhere military conflict has taken place in the last century, surrounding seas are often strewn with explosives, states Vedenin. Many millions of tons of dangerous substances remain in our seas.

The positions of these munitions are insufficiently documented, in part because of international boundaries, restricted armed forces records and the reality that records are stored in historical records. They present an explosion and safety risk, as well as risk from the persistent release of hazardous substances.

As the German government and other countries embark on clearing these artifacts, researchers hope to safeguard the marine communities that have established around them. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are currently being removed.

Researchers recommend replace these metal carcasses left from weapons with some safer, various safe materials, like perhaps man-made habitats, states Vedenin.

He presently aspires that what happens in the Bay of Lübeck creates a model for substituting habitats after weapon clearance in different areas – because also the most destructive weaponry can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.