World War II Explosives, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: The Way Marine Life Prosper on Abandoned Armaments

In the slightly salty waters off the German coast lies a collection of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Thrown off vessels at the end of the World War II and forgotten about, numerous weapons have fused into clusters over the decades. They comprise a corroding layer on the shallow, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and neglected. A growing number of visitors traveled to the coastal areas and calm waters for jetskiing, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons decayed.

We initially anticipated to see a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, explains a scientist.

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were affecting to the ecosystem, researchers thought they would find a desert, with no life because it was all contaminated, states Andrey Vedenin.

What they observed astonished them. Vedenin remembers his colleagues shouting with surprise when the submersible first sent the images back. This was a remarkable experience, he says.

Thousands of marine animals had established habitats among the munitions, developing a renewed habitat richer than the seabed surrounding it.

This underwater metropolis was proof to the persistence of marine life. It is actually surprising how much marine organisms we discover in locations that are expected to be dangerous and dangerous, he says.

Over 40 starfish had piled on to one accessible piece of explosive material. They were dwelling on iron containers, ignition chambers and carrying containers just a short distance from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crabs, anemones and bivalves were all found on the historic weapons. It resembles a reef ecosystem in terms of the quantity of fauna that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin.

Remarkable Population Density

An average of more than forty thousand creatures were residing on every square metre of the munitions, researchers documented in their research on the discovery. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only eight thousand creatures on every meter squared.

It is surprising that objects that are meant to destroy everything are hosting so much life, says Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world adjusts after a catastrophic event such as the World War II and how, in some way, life establishes itself to the most dangerous areas.

Artificial Structures as Marine Environments

Man-made features such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and undersea pipes can provide substitutes, replacing some of the destroyed habitat. This study demonstrates that weapons could be similarly advantageous – the explosion of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be found in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of arms were dumped off the Germany's shoreline. Numerous of individuals transported them in vessels; a portion were deposited in specific areas, the remainder just discarded at sea en route. This is the first time experts have recorded how marine life has adapted.

Worldwide Examples of Marine Adaptation

• In the US, decommissioned energy installations have transformed into reef ecosystems
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become habitats for marine life along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These places become even more crucial for organisms as the oceans are increasingly stripped by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites essentially serve as refuges – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of human activity is prohibited, says Vedenin. Consequently a numerous of marine species that are typically uncommon or diminishing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving.

Future Factors

Anywhere armed conflict has occurred in the last century, nearby oceans are often strewn with munitions, says Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of dangerous substances remain in our seas.

The positions of these explosives are inadequately documented, partially because of sovereign limits, classified armed forces records and the fact that archives are hidden in historical records. They create an explosion and security danger, as well as threat from the continuous leakage of toxic chemicals.

As Germany and additional nations start clearing these relics, scientists aim to safeguard the habitats that have developed in their vicinity. In the Lübeck Bay explosives are currently being extracted.

Researchers recommend replace these metal carcasses originating from munitions with certain less dangerous, various non-dangerous structures, like maybe man-made habitats, suggests Vedenin.

He now wishes that what happens in the Bay of Lübeck creates a example for replacing habitats after munitions removal in different areas – because including the most damaging armaments can become scaffolding for new life.