World War II Explosives, Torpedoes and Mines: How Marine Life Thrives on Abandoned Armaments

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast rests a collection of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Discarded from vessels at the conclusion of the World War II and left behind, thousands munitions have accumulated over the decades. They form a corroding blanket on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic.

Over the years, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and forgotten about. A growing number of visitors came to the sandy beaches and calm waters for jetskiing, kite surfing and amusement parks. Below the waves, the munitions eroded.

Some of us expected to see a desert, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says the lead researcher.

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were doing to the marine environment, some of us expected to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, says a scientist.

What they observed surprised them. Vedenin remembers his team members reacting with shock when the submersible first relayed pictures. It was a remarkable experience, he recalls.

Numerous of marine animals had settled amid the munitions, forming a regenerated ecosystem more populous than the seabed around it.

This ocean community was testament to the resilience of marine life. Indeed astonishing how much marine organisms we discover in areas that are considered hazardous and risky, he states.

More than 40 sea stars had clustered on to one exposed fragment of TNT. They were living on steel casings, fuse pockets and carrying containers just centimetres from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and mussels were all discovered on the historic weapons. It resembles a reef ecosystem in terms of the abundance of creatures that was present, states Vedenin.

Unexpected Creature Concentration

An average of more than 40,000 creatures were dwelling on every square metre of the munitions, experts wrote in their paper on the finding. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only 8,000 organisms on every meter squared.

It is ironic that things that are designed to eliminate everything are hosting so much life, explains Vedenin. One can observe how nature adjusts after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life finds its way to the most dangerous locations.

Man-made Features as Ocean Environments

Artificial constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, drilling platforms and pipelines can create alternatives, compensating for some of the destroyed marine environment. This investigation reveals that weapons could be similarly beneficial – the bloom of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is likely to be repeated in other locations.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6m tons of munitions were disposed of off the German coast. Thousands of people loaded them in boats; a portion were placed in specific areas, others just discarded at sea while traveling. This is the first time scientists have recorded how ocean organisms has reacted.

Worldwide Instances of Marine Adaptation

• In the US, retired energy installations have transformed into marine habitats
• Shipwrecks from the World War I have become environments for marine life along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become home to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These locations become even more crucial for organisms as the seas are increasingly depleted by fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites essentially serve as refuges – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of human activity is banned, explains Vedenin. Therefore a many of organisms that are otherwise scarce or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are flourishing.

Future Issues

Wherever military conflict has happened in the last century, surrounding seas are usually containing explosives, says Vedenin. Many millions of tons of dangerous substances rest in our oceans.

The positions of these munitions are insufficiently documented, in part because of national borders, classified military information and the fact that archives are hidden in old files. They present an detonation and safety risk, as well as threat from the continuous leakage of hazardous substances.

As Germany and different states embark on removing these relics, experts plan to preserve the marine communities that have established nearby. In the Lübeck Bay munitions are already being cleared.

Researchers recommend substitute these metal carcasses remaining from munitions with certain more secure, various safe objects, like perhaps artificial reefs, states Vedenin.

He now wishes that what happens in the Bay of Lübeck establishes a example for replacing habitats after explosive extraction in other locations – because even the most destructive weaponry can become scaffolding for marine organisms.