World War II Bombs, Torpedoes and Mines: How Marine Life Prosper on Discarded Weapons

In the brackish waters off the Germany's coast rests a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Dumped from barges at the conclusion of the World War II and left behind, thousands weapons have accumulated over the years. They create a rusting layer on the low-depth, muddy ocean floor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the Nazi arsenal was ignored and neglected. A increasing amount of visitors flocked to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the weapons deteriorated.

Researchers anticipated to see a desert, with no life because it was all contaminated, explains Andrey Vedenin.

When the team went searching to see what they were affecting to the ecosystem, some of us thought they would find a lifeless zone, with no life because it was all contaminated, says the lead researcher.

What they observed astonished them. Vedenin remembers his team members exclaiming in amazement when the submersible first sent the images back. That moment was a great moment, he recalls.

Numerous of sea creatures had settled among the explosives, creating a revitalized ecosystem denser than the seabed nearby.

This marine city was proof to the resilience of marine life. It is actually surprising how much marine organisms we discover in places that are expected to be hazardous and risky, he states.

Over 40 sea stars had gathered on to one visible piece of explosive material. They were living on steel casings, ignition chambers and storage boxes just centimetres from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all observed on the discarded explosives. You could compare it with a coral reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was inhabiting the area, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Population Density

An mean of more than forty thousand animals were residing on every square metre of the explosives, researchers wrote in their study on the observation. The adjacent region was much sparser, with only 8,000 individuals on every square metre.

It is surprising that items that are designed to eliminate all life are drawing so much life, says Vedenin. You can see how nature adapts after a devastating occurrence such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life finds its way to the most hazardous areas.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Habitats

Man-made constructions such as shipwrecks, wind turbines, oil rigs and pipelines can provide alternatives, compensating for some of the removed habitat. This research demonstrates that weapons could be equally advantageous – the explosion of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be duplicated elsewhere.

Between 1946 and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of arms were disposed of off the Germany's coast. Thousands of individuals transported them in vessels; a portion were dropped in specific areas, others just thrown overboard during transport. This is the initial instance experts have studied how ocean organisms has adapted.

Global Instances of Ocean Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned oil and gas structures have transformed into marine habitats
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become homes for creatures along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to coral off Asan in the Pacific island

These places become even more valuable for marine life as the seas are increasingly depleted by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites effectively function as protected areas – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of human activity is banned, states Vedenin. As a result a numerous of organisms that are otherwise rare or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are thriving.

Coming Issues

Wherever armed conflict has taken place in the past 100 years, surrounding seas are usually containing weapons, explains Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of dangerous substances lie in our oceans.

The positions of these weapons are poorly documented, partly because of national borders, secret armed forces records and the fact that records are buried in old files. They pose an explosion and safety risk, as well as threat from the continuous emission of toxic chemicals.

As Germany and additional nations start removing these artifacts, scientists plan to preserve the habitats that have developed around them. In the Lübeck Bay weapons are currently being cleared.

Researchers recommend substitute these metal carcasses originating from munitions with some more secure, some non-dangerous materials, like possibly artificial reefs, says Vedenin.

He presently hopes that what transpires in Lübeck creates a precedent for replacing habitats after munitions removal in other locations – because even the most damaging weaponry can become framework for ocean ecosystems.