Nazi Explosives, Torpedoes and Mines: How Marine Life Flourishes on Dumped Armaments

In the brackish waters off the German coast rests a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and mines. Thrown off vessels at the conclusion of the World War II and left behind, numerous munitions have accumulated over the decades. They create a decaying blanket on the shallow, silty seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western tip of the Baltic.

Over the years, the wartime weapons was overlooked and neglected. A increasing amount of tourists traveled to the sandy beaches and calm waters for water sports, kite surfing and amusement parks. Underwater, the weapons eroded.

Some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no life because it was all poisoned, explains the lead researcher.

When the team went investigating to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all toxic, says the lead researcher.

What they found surprised them. Vedenin recalls his scientists shouting with surprise when the underwater vehicle first transmitted footage. It was a remarkable experience, he recalls.

Countless of ocean life had settled among the munitions, developing a regenerated habitat richer than the sea floor nearby.

This ocean community was testament to the tenacity of marine life. Truly remarkable how much life we find in places that are considered dangerous and dangerous, he states.

Over 40 starfish had piled on to one visible piece of explosive material. They were residing on iron containers, fuse pockets and storage boxes just a short distance from its volatile core. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all observed on the historic weapons. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was there, notes Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

An average of more than 40,000 creatures were living on every meter squared of the munitions, scientists reported in their paper on the finding. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only eight thousand organisms on every square metre.

It is surprising that things that are intended to eliminate everything are drawing so much life, states Vedenin. You can see how nature adjusts after a devastating occurrence such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, marine life finds its way to the most hazardous areas.

Artificial Features as Ocean Habitats

Man-made constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, drilling platforms and pipelines can create substitutes, restoring some of the removed habitat. This study reveals that weapons could be comparably beneficial – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be repeated elsewhere.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tons of munitions were disposed of off the German shoreline. Countless of workers loaded them in boats; a portion were placed in specific areas, the remainder just dumped while traveling. This is the initial instance researchers have recorded how ocean organisms has reacted.

Global Examples of Ocean Transformation

• In the United States, decommissioned oil and gas structures have turned into coral reefs
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become homes for creatures along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to coral off Asan beach in Guam

These locations become even more valuable for marine life as the oceans are increasingly denuded by commercial fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Shipwrecks and munitions areas effectively serve as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is prohibited, states Vedenin. Consequently a many of organisms that are typically uncommon or declining, such as the cod fish, are thriving.

Future Considerations

Anywhere warfare has occurred in the recent history, surrounding seas are usually containing explosives, explains Vedenin. Many millions of tons of dangerous substances lie in our oceans.

The sites of these munitions are insufficiently documented, partially because of national borders, classified military information and the situation that archives are hidden in historical records. They pose an explosion and safety risk, as well as risk from the continuous leakage of hazardous substances.

As Germany and additional nations start removing these remains, experts aim to safeguard the ecosystems that have formed around them. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are already being removed.

Researchers recommend substitute these steel remains remaining from weapons with certain safer, some harmless structures, like maybe artificial reefs, says Vedenin.

He now wishes that what happens in Lübeck sets a model for replacing material after explosive extraction in other locations – because also the most destructive armaments can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.