World War II Explosives, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Thrives on Abandoned Armaments

In the brackish sea off the German coast sits a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Discarded from vessels at the end of the World War II and forgotten about, thousands munitions have fused into clusters over the years. They create a decaying layer on the low-depth, silty ocean floor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western tip of the Baltic.

Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and neglected. A increasing amount of visitors came to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons deteriorated.

We initially thought to see a barren area, with no life because it was all contaminated, says a scientist.

When the first scientists went looking to see what they were doing to the ecosystem, researchers expected to see a barren area, with no life because it was all toxic, explains the lead researcher.

What they found amazed them. Vedenin recounts his team members shouting with surprise when the underwater vehicle first sent the images back. This was a memorable occasion, he notes.

Countless of ocean life had made their homes on the munitions, developing a revitalized ecosystem more populous than the sea floor nearby.

This marine city was evidence to the resilience of life. It is actually remarkable how much marine organisms we observe in locations that are supposed to be toxic and harmful, he states.

Over 40 sea stars had gathered on to one accessible chunk of explosive material. They were residing on iron containers, detonator compartments and carrying containers just centimetres from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crustaceans, 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 there, notes Vedenin.

Remarkable Population Density

An average of more than 40,000 animals were living on every square metre of the weapons, researchers documented in their paper on the observation. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only 8,000 creatures on every meter squared.

It is ironic that things that are designed to kill all life are hosting so much marine organisms, explains Vedenin. You can see how nature adjusts after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in some way, marine life returns to the most dangerous places.

Man-made Structures as Ocean Habitats

Artificial features such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can provide replacements, restoring some of the lost marine environment. This research shows that munitions could be similarly advantageous – the explosion of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be duplicated in different areas.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were discarded off the German coast. Countless of workers transported them in vessels; some were deposited in allocated sites, others just dumped while traveling. This is the first time researchers have recorded how ocean organisms has reacted.

Worldwide Examples of Ocean Adaptation

• In the United States, decommissioned oil and gas structures have become coral reefs
• Submerged vessels from the World War I have become homes for marine life along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to coral off Asan beach in Guam

These locations become even more important for organisms as the seas are increasingly denuded by commercial fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations essentially serve as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is restricted, explains Vedenin. Therefore a numerous of species that are usually scarce or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are flourishing.

Future Factors

Anywhere warfare has occurred in the last century, adjacent waters are typically containing munitions, explains Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of explosive material remain in our marine environments.

The locations of these munitions are poorly mapped, partly because of international boundaries, secret military information and the reality that archives are buried in old files. They present an detonation and security hazard, as well as danger from the continuous emission of poisonous compounds.

As the German government and other countries start extracting these artifacts, experts plan to protect the ecosystems that have formed nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are presently being removed.

It would be wise to substitute these iron structures left from weapons with some less dangerous, various safe materials, like possibly artificial reefs, states Vedenin.

He presently wishes that what happens in Lübeck sets a precedent for replacing structures after munitions removal elsewhere – because also the most destructive weaponry can become scaffolding for ocean ecosystems.