Nazi Munitions, Torpedo Heads and Mines: How Ocean Creatures Prosper on Dumped Weapons

In the slightly salty waters off the German coast rests a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and mines. Discarded from boats at the conclusion of the second world war and neglected, numerous weapons have become matted together over the years. They form a corroding layer on the shallow, muddy seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western tip of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the explosive stockpile was ignored and forgotten about. A growing number of tourists came to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kite surfing and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the weapons eroded.

Some of us anticipated to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says Andrey Vedenin.

When the initial researchers went investigating to see what they were doing to the ecosystem, the team anticipated finding a barren area, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, says a scientist.

What they found amazed them. Vedenin recalls his colleagues reacting with shock when the ROV first relayed pictures. It was a memorable occasion, he recalls.

Thousands of sea creatures had settled on the explosives, forming a renewed ecosystem denser than the ocean bottom surrounding it.

This marine city was evidence to the persistence of life. It is actually astonishing how much life we find in locations that are supposed to be dangerous and harmful, he states.

More than 40 sea stars had piled on to one visible chunk of TNT. They were residing on iron containers, detonator compartments and carrying containers just centimetres from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crabs, anemones and bivalves were all found on the discarded explosives. You could compare it with a coral reef in terms of the abundance of fauna that was inhabiting the area, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Creature Concentration

An mean of more than forty thousand creatures were residing on every square metre of the explosives, scientists reported in their study on the observation. The adjacent region was much poorer in life, with only eight thousand individuals on every meter squared.

It is ironic that items that are meant to eliminate all life are hosting so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in some way, marine life establishes itself to the most dangerous areas.

Man-made Structures as Ocean Environments

Man-made structures such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and undersea pipes can offer substitutes, restoring some of the removed marine environment. This research demonstrates that weapons could be equally beneficial – the explosion of life on those in the Bay of Lübeck is likely to be duplicated in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of arms were dumped off the German shoreline. Countless of individuals loaded them in boats; a portion were dropped in specific sites, the remainder just dumped en route. This is the first time scientists have recorded how marine life has responded.

Global Instances of Ocean Adaptation

• In the US, decommissioned drilling platforms have transformed into marine habitats
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become environments for creatures along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to coral off Asan in the Pacific island

These areas become even more important for organisms as the oceans are increasingly denuded by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites essentially function as sanctuaries – they are not national parks, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, says Vedenin. Consequently a lot of marine species that are typically uncommon or diminishing, such as the Baltic cod, are prospering.

Coming Issues

Wherever military conflict has happened in the past 100 years, nearby oceans are typically littered with munitions, explains Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of dangerous substances remain in our seas.

The sites of these weapons are poorly documented, partially because of international boundaries, classified defense data and the reality that archives are hidden in old files. They present an detonation and security danger, as well as threat from the persistent release of hazardous substances.

As Germany and additional nations begin extracting these relics, researchers hope to protect the ecosystems that have formed in their vicinity. In the Lübeck Bay munitions are currently being cleared.

Researchers recommend substitute these steel remains originating from weapons with some more secure, various non-dangerous materials, like maybe artificial reefs, states Vedenin.

He presently aspires that what happens in Lübeck sets a example for replacing habitats after munitions removal in different areas – because also the most damaging armaments can become foundation for new life.