Nazi Munitions, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: How Ocean Creatures Thrives on Discarded Weapons

In the brackish waters off the Germany's shoreline lies a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Thrown off barges at the end of the second world war and left behind, thousands weapons have become matted together over the years. They comprise a decaying carpet on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and forgotten about. A increasing amount of visitors flocked to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kite surfing and amusement parks. Underwater, the munitions eroded.

Some of us thought to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all contaminated, says a scientist.

When the team went investigating to see what they were affecting to the ecosystem, the team anticipated finding a desert, with nothing living there because it was all toxic, states the lead researcher.

What they observed amazed them. Vedenin recounts his team members exclaiming in amazement when the underwater vehicle first sent the images back. This was a memorable occasion, he notes.

Countless of ocean life had established habitats among the weapons, developing a regenerated habitat richer than the seabed nearby.

This ocean community was testament to the persistence of marine life. Indeed surprising how much life we discover in locations that are expected to be dangerous and harmful, he explains.

In excess of 40 sea stars had gathered on to one visible piece of TNT. They were dwelling on steel casings, fuse pockets and transport cases just a short distance from its volatile core. Marine fish, crustaceans, anemones and bivalves were all found on the old munitions. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was present, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Population Density

An average of more than forty thousand organisms were residing on every meter squared of the explosives, researchers wrote in their study on the discovery. The adjacent region was much sparser, with only eight thousand creatures on every square metre.

It is paradoxical that items that are intended to eliminate everything are drawing so much life, says Vedenin. It's evident how nature evolves after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, life establishes itself to the most hazardous areas.

Man-made Structures as Ocean Environments

Man-made structures such as shipwrecks, offshore windfarms, drilling platforms and pipelines can offer substitutes, compensating for some of the destroyed marine environment. This study shows that munitions could be comparably advantageous – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be found in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of weapons were disposed of off the German coast. Numerous of individuals placed them in barges; some were dropped in allocated areas, the remainder just discarded at sea during transport. This is the initial instance scientists have documented how ocean organisms has reacted.

Global Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, retired drilling platforms have turned into coral reefs
• Submerged vessels from the World War I have become habitats for creatures along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in Guam

These locations become even more valuable for organisms as the marine environments are increasingly depleted by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and boat mooring. Sunken ships and munitions areas practically function as protected areas – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of human activity is prohibited, says Vedenin. Consequently a numerous of species that are otherwise uncommon or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving.

Coming Considerations

Wherever armed conflict has occurred in the last century, surrounding seas are often containing explosives, says Vedenin. Many millions of tons of volatile compounds lie in our marine environments.

The locations of these explosives are insufficiently documented, in part because of international boundaries, secret armed forces records and the reality that archives are hidden in old files. They present an explosion and safety hazard, as well as risk from the continuous release of hazardous substances.

As Germany and other countries begin removing these artifacts, researchers hope to protect the marine communities that have established nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck weapons are already being cleared.

Researchers recommend replace these iron structures left from munitions with certain safer, various harmless objects, like maybe concrete structures, says Vedenin.

He now wishes that what happens in Lübeck sets a model for replacing habitats after explosive extraction in other locations – because even the most destructive weaponry can become scaffolding for ocean ecosystems.