Nazi Explosives, Torpedo Heads and Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Prosper on Abandoned Weapons
In the brackish sea off the Germany's coast lies a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and mines. Discarded from barges at the end of the World War II and neglected, thousands weapons have fused into clusters over the years. They create a corroding layer on the shallow, silty seafloor of the Bay of LĂźbeck in the western tip of the Baltic.
Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was ignored and forgotten about. A increasing amount of tourists came to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Underwater, the weapons decayed.
Some of us expected to see a barren area, with no life because it was all contaminated, says Andrey Vedenin.
When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, some of us expected to see a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all contaminated, explains the lead researcher.
What they observed amazed them. Vedenin recalls his colleagues exclaiming in amazement when the ROV first sent the images back. That moment was a memorable occasion, he notes.
Countless of marine animals had made their homes amid the weapons, forming a renewed ecosystem denser than the seabed surrounding it.
This ocean community was testament to the resilience of life. Indeed astonishing how much marine organisms we observe in locations that are considered toxic and risky, he states.
More than 40 sea stars had gathered on to one exposed fragment of TNT. They were living on steel casings, detonator compartments and storage boxes just a short distance from its dangerous content. Fish, crabs, anemones and bivalves were all observed on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the quantity of animal life that was present, notes Vedenin.
Unexpected Creature Concentration
An average of more than 40,000 organisms were living on every meter squared of the explosives, scientists documented in their study on the discovery. The adjacent region was much sparser, with only eight thousand individuals on every meter squared.
It is paradoxical that items that are meant to destroy all life are attracting so much life, states Vedenin. It's evident how nature adapts after a catastrophic event such as the second world war and how, in some way, marine life returns to the most dangerous locations.
Artificial Features as Ocean Environments
Man-made features such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and undersea pipes can offer alternatives, restoring some of the destroyed habitat. This study demonstrates that munitions could be comparably advantageous â the bloom of life on those in the LĂźbeck Bay is likely to be duplicated in other locations.
Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were disposed of off the Germany's shoreline. Thousands of people placed them in boats; some were placed in specific sites, the remainder just thrown overboard during transport. This is the initial instance experts have studied how marine life has adapted.
Global Examples of Ocean Adaptation
- In the US, retired energy installations have transformed into reef ecosystems
- Submerged vessels from the first world war have become environments for marine life along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
- Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to coral off Asan beach in the Pacific island
These locations become even more valuable for wildlife as the oceans are increasingly denuded by fishing, seafloor dredging and boat mooring. Sunken ships and munitions areas practically serve as protected areas â they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is banned, explains Vedenin. Consequently a many of organisms that are otherwise scarce or diminishing, such as the cod fish, are flourishing.
Coming Issues
Anywhere warfare has happened in the past 100 years, surrounding seas are often littered with explosives, states Vedenin. Many millions of tons of dangerous substances rest in our marine environments.
The positions of these weapons are inadequately mapped, partly because of national borders, restricted military information and the fact that archives are buried in historic archives. They create an detonation and safety risk, as well as threat from the persistent release of hazardous substances.
As Germany and additional nations start clearing these relics, scientists plan to preserve the habitats that have developed around them. In the LĂźbeck Bay explosives are presently being cleared.
Researchers recommend replace these iron structures remaining from weapons with some less dangerous, some safe structures, like perhaps concrete structures, states Vedenin.
He now wishes that what transpires in LĂźbeck sets a example for substituting structures after weapon clearance in other locations â because even the most damaging explosives can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.
