World War II Explosives, Torpedoes and Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Prosper on Abandoned Weapons

In the brackish sea off the Germany's shoreline lies a graveyard of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Thrown off boats at the conclusion of the second world war and forgotten about, thousands munitions have fused into clusters over the years. They create a corroding layer on the shallow, silty seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western tip of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the wartime weapons was ignored and neglected. A growing number of visitors flocked to the sandy beaches and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Below the waves, the munitions deteriorated.

We initially anticipated to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states a scientist.

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were doing to the ecosystem, some of us anticipated finding a desert, with nothing living there because it was all toxic, explains the lead researcher.

What they observed astonished them. Vedenin recounts his scientists shouting with surprise when the submersible first relayed pictures. This was a memorable occasion, he says.

Numerous of sea creatures had settled on the explosives, developing a renewed ecosystem richer than the seabed around it.

This underwater metropolis was testament to the resilience of marine life. Truly surprising how much marine organisms we observe in places that are considered dangerous and dangerous, he says.

Over 40 starfish had gathered on to one accessible chunk of TNT. They were living on iron containers, ignition chambers and carrying containers just a short distance from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crustaceans, anemones and mussels were all discovered on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the amount of fauna that was present, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Creature Concentration

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

It is surprising that things that are meant to destroy all life are attracting so much life, states Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in some way, life establishes itself to the most risky locations.

Man-made Features as Marine Environments

Artificial features such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and pipelines can create substitutes, replacing some of the removed habitat. This study reveals that explosives could be similarly advantageous – the bloom of life on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be repeated in different areas.

Between the late 1940s and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were dumped off the Germany's coast. Countless of people placed them in boats; some were dropped in allocated sites, others just dumped while traveling. This is the first time researchers have documented how marine life has responded.

Global Examples of Ocean Transformation

• In the United States, retired energy installations have become coral reefs
• Submerged vessels from the first world war have become environments for creatures along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become home to coral off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These places become even more crucial for organisms as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by fishing, seafloor dredging and boat mooring. Shipwrecks and munitions areas practically serve as protected areas – they are not national parks, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. As a result a lot of marine species that are typically uncommon or declining, such as the cod fish, are flourishing.

Future Issues

Wherever warfare has happened in the recent history, nearby oceans are typically containing explosives, says Vedenin. Millions of tons of dangerous substances lie in our oceans.

The positions of these weapons are inadequately documented, in part because of international boundaries, classified military information and the situation that records are stored in historic archives. They pose an explosion and safety hazard, as well as risk from the continuous emission of poisonous compounds.

As Germany and different states start removing these relics, researchers aim to preserve the marine communities that have established nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are already being cleared.

It would be wise to substitute these iron structures remaining from munitions with some more secure, various harmless structures, like maybe concrete structures, states Vedenin.

He now wishes that what occurs in Lübeck sets a model for substituting habitats after weapon clearance in other locations – because also the most damaging armaments can become scaffolding for new life.