World War II Explosives, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: The Way Marine Life Prosper on Discarded Armaments

In the slightly salty sea off the German shoreline lies a wasteland of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Dumped from vessels at the conclusion of the second world war and neglected, numerous explosives have fused into clusters over the years. They form a corroding layer on the shallow, silty ocean floor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic.

Over the decades, the Nazi arsenal was overlooked and forgotten about. A increasing amount of visitors flocked to the sandy beaches and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons decayed.

Some of us thought to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, explains the lead researcher.

When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were doing to the marine environment, the team expected to see a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, explains the lead researcher.

What they observed amazed them. Vedenin recounts his team members shouting with surprise when the underwater vehicle first relayed pictures. This was a memorable occasion, he notes.

Thousands of marine animals had made their homes amid the munitions, creating a regenerated marine community richer than the sea floor nearby.

This marine city was testament to the persistence of life. It is actually surprising how much life we find in places that are expected to be hazardous and risky, he states.

Over 40 sea stars had clustered on to one accessible piece of TNT. They were residing on iron containers, fuse pockets and transport cases just a short distance from its volatile core. Fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all discovered on the historic weapons. It's similar to a coral reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

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

It is surprising that things that are meant to destroy all life are hosting so much marine organisms, explains Vedenin. You can see how nature adapts after a devastating occurrence such as the World War II and how, in some way, life returns to the most risky places.

Man-made Features as Ocean Habitats

Artificial features such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and undersea pipes can create replacements, restoring some of the destroyed marine environment. This investigation reveals that explosives could be similarly beneficial – the bloom of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be found in different areas.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of munitions were dumped off the Germany's coast. Thousands of people placed them in barges; a portion were placed in allocated locations, the remainder just thrown overboard during transport. This is the first time experts have recorded how ocean organisms has adapted.

Global Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned energy installations have become coral reefs
• Submerged vessels from the World War I have become habitats for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become home to coral off Asan in Guam

These areas become even more important for organisms as the oceans are increasingly depleted by fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations essentially serve as refuges – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of human activity is restricted, states Vedenin. Therefore a lot of species that are otherwise rare or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are prospering.

Coming Factors

Anywhere military conflict has taken place in the past 100 years, adjacent waters are often containing explosives, says Vedenin. Millions of tons of dangerous substances remain in our marine environments.

The positions of these explosives are inadequately mapped, partially because of international boundaries, secret military information and the fact that documents are stored in historic archives. They pose an detonation and security risk, as well as danger from the persistent emission of poisonous compounds.

As the German government and different states begin clearing these artifacts, experts aim to protect the habitats that have established in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are presently being extracted.

We should substitute these iron structures left from munitions with certain safer, various non-dangerous structures, like maybe concrete structures, suggests Vedenin.

He presently wishes that what transpires in Lübeck creates a example for substituting material after weapon clearance in other locations – because even the most damaging weaponry can become foundation for marine organisms.