World War II Explosives, Torpedoes and Naval Mines: How Ocean Creatures Flourishes on Dumped Armaments

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's shoreline sits a wasteland of World War II explosives, torpedoes and naval mines. Dumped from boats at the end of the second world war and neglected, thousands munitions have become matted together over the years. They form a corroding blanket on the low-depth, muddy ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the decades, the wartime weapons was overlooked and neglected. A increasing amount of visitors came to the coastal areas and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the munitions deteriorated.

Some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all toxic, explains Andrey Vedenin.

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

What they observed surprised them. Vedenin recalls his colleagues exclaiming in amazement when the underwater vehicle first transmitted footage. It was a great moment, he recalls.

Thousands of ocean life had established habitats amid the munitions, developing a regenerated habitat more populous than the ocean bottom nearby.

This marine city was evidence to the tenacity of life. It is actually remarkable how much life we observe in locations that are supposed to be dangerous and risky, he explains.

In excess of 40 sea stars had piled on to one accessible piece of explosive material. They were residing on iron containers, ignition chambers and transport cases just a short distance from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and mussels were all observed on the discarded explosives. You could compare it with a reef ecosystem in terms of the amount of animal life that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

An average of more than forty thousand animals were residing on every meter squared of the explosives, scientists reported in their paper on the discovery. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only 8,000 individuals on every square metre.

It is surprising that things that are designed to destroy everything are hosting so much life, states Vedenin. You can see how nature adjusts after a catastrophic event such as the World War II and how, in some way, marine life finds its way to the most risky places.

Man-made Structures as Ocean Habitats

Man-made structures such as shipwrecks, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can provide replacements, restoring some of the destroyed marine environment. This research shows that explosives could be comparably positive – the explosion of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be duplicated in other locations.

Between 1946 and the post-war period, 1.6m tons of arms were discarded off the Germany's coast. Numerous of individuals placed them in barges; some were dropped in designated locations, others just discarded at sea en route. This is the first time scientists have documented how ocean organisms has reacted.

Global Examples of Ocean Adaptation

• In the US, retired oil and gas structures have become reef ecosystems
• Sunken ships from the World War I have become environments for marine life along the Potomac in Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become environment to coral off Asan in the Pacific island

These areas become even more important for organisms as the oceans are increasingly depleted by fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Shipwrecks and munitions areas essentially function as refuges – they are not national parks, but virtually any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is restricted, says Vedenin. Therefore a many of species that are usually uncommon or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are prospering.

Future Considerations

Anywhere warfare has taken place in the last century, nearby oceans are usually littered with munitions, states Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of dangerous substances rest in our marine environments.

The locations of these explosives are poorly mapped, partially because of national borders, secret defense data and the fact that documents are stored in historic archives. They present an explosion and safety hazard, as well as danger from the continuous release of poisonous compounds.

As the German government and additional nations begin removing these remains, scientists plan to preserve the ecosystems that have formed nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are presently being cleared.

Researchers recommend substitute these metal carcasses originating from weapons with certain more secure, various non-dangerous objects, like maybe artificial reefs, states Vedenin.

He currently hopes that what transpires in the Bay of Lübeck sets a model for replacing habitats after explosive extraction in other locations – because even the most destructive weaponry can become foundation for marine organisms.