World War II Bombs, Torpedoes and Naval Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Flourishes on Abandoned Weapons

In the slightly salty sea off the German shoreline lies a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and mines. Discarded from barges at the end of the World War II and left behind, numerous weapons have accumulated over the decades. They comprise a decaying layer on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the wartime weapons was ignored and neglected. A growing number of tourists came to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for water sports, kite surfing and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the munitions deteriorated.

Researchers anticipated to see a barren area, with no life because it was all toxic, states a scientist.

When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were affecting to the ecosystem, some of us expected to see a desert, with nothing living there because it was all contaminated, states Andrey Vedenin.

What they discovered astonished them. Vedenin remembers his scientists shouting with surprise when the ROV first relayed pictures. It was a remarkable experience, he notes.

Countless of marine animals had settled on the munitions, creating a regenerated marine community denser than the seabed nearby.

This marine city was evidence to the tenacity of marine life. Truly astonishing how much marine organisms we discover in areas that are supposed to be dangerous and dangerous, he states.

In excess of 40 starfish had piled on to one visible fragment of explosive material. They were living on iron containers, detonator compartments and carrying containers just centimetres from its dangerous content. Fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all observed on the old munitions. You could compare it with a coral reef in terms of the abundance of animal life that was present, says Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

An mean of more than forty thousand animals were residing on every meter squared of the munitions, scientists reported in their study on the observation. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only 8,000 organisms on every meter squared.

It is ironic that items that are meant to kill everything are drawing so much life, says Vedenin. You can see how nature adapts after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in some way, marine life establishes itself to the most risky places.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Environments

Artificial structures such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can create replacements, restoring some of the destroyed habitat. This research demonstrates that weapons could be equally positive – the bloom of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is likely to be found in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of munitions were dumped off the German coast. Numerous of individuals placed them in vessels; some were deposited in allocated locations, others just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the first time researchers have recorded how ocean organisms has responded.

Global Instances of Ocean Adaptation

• In the US, decommissioned energy installations have become reef ecosystems
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become habitats for creatures along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in Guam

These locations become even more crucial for wildlife as the oceans are increasingly denuded by commercial fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations practically act as refuges – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of human activity is prohibited, says Vedenin. Consequently a numerous of organisms that are usually rare or declining, such as the cod fish, are prospering.

Future Factors

Wherever military conflict has happened in the last century, adjacent waters are often containing explosives, states Vedenin. Many millions of tons of volatile compounds remain in our marine environments.

The locations of these weapons are poorly documented, partly because of national borders, restricted defense data and the reality that archives are hidden in historical records. They present an detonation and safety hazard, as well as threat from the ongoing emission of hazardous substances.

As Germany and different states embark on removing these artifacts, experts aim to protect the habitats that have developed nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are presently being extracted.

Researchers recommend replace these iron structures remaining from munitions with some less dangerous, various non-dangerous materials, like maybe concrete structures, states Vedenin.

He now aspires that what happens in the Bay of Lübeck sets a precedent for replacing habitats after explosive extraction in different areas – because also the most destructive weaponry can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.