Nazi Bombs, Torpedo Heads and Mines: How Ocean Creatures Thrives on Abandoned Weapons

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast lies a collection of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and mines. Dumped from boats at the conclusion of the World War II and forgotten about, countless munitions have fused into clusters over the decades. They create a rusting carpet on the low-depth, silty ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic.

Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and forgotten about. A increasing amount of visitors came to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Underwater, the munitions decayed.

We initially anticipated to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, says Andrey Vedenin.

When the initial researchers went searching to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, the team anticipated finding a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states Andrey Vedenin.

What they discovered surprised them. Vedenin recounts his team members reacting with shock when the ROV first sent the images back. It was a great moment, he says.

Numerous of ocean life had established habitats on the explosives, forming a revitalized habitat denser than the sea floor around it.

This marine city was testament to the resilience of life. It is actually surprising how much life we discover in locations that are considered dangerous and risky, he explains.

Over 40 sea stars had clustered on to one accessible piece of TNT. They were living on steel casings, ignition chambers and storage boxes just centimetres from its volatile core. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and mussels were all observed on the historic weapons. It's similar to a coral reef in terms of the amount of fauna that was there, notes Vedenin.

Remarkable Population Density

An average of more than forty thousand organisms were residing on every meter squared of the weapons, scientists reported in their study on the discovery. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only eight thousand creatures on every square metre.

It is ironic that objects that are meant to destroy all life are attracting so much life, explains Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, life returns to the most risky places.

Man-made Structures as Ocean Habitats

Artificial features such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can create replacements, replacing some of the removed marine environment. This research demonstrates that explosives could be equally advantageous – the bloom of life on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be duplicated elsewhere.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of munitions were dumped off the German coast. Numerous of individuals transported them in boats; a portion were deposited in designated sites, the remainder just discarded at sea during transport. This is the initial instance scientists have recorded how ocean organisms has adapted.

Global Examples of Ocean Transformation

• In the United States, retired oil and gas structures have turned into coral reefs
• Shipwrecks from the first world war have become homes for marine life along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan in Guam

These places become even more valuable for organisms as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and boat mooring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites effectively function as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. As a result a numerous of marine species that are otherwise scarce or declining, such as the Baltic cod, are flourishing.

Coming Factors

Wherever armed conflict has taken place in the last century, adjacent waters are usually strewn with explosives, states Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of volatile compounds rest in our seas.

The locations of these munitions are insufficiently documented, partly because of national borders, restricted armed forces records and the fact that documents are buried in historical records. They present an detonation and security risk, as well as risk from the persistent release of hazardous substances.

As the German government and other countries embark on clearing these remains, researchers plan to safeguard the ecosystems that have established around them. In the Lübeck Bay munitions are currently being removed.

It would be wise to substitute these metal carcasses originating from munitions with some less dangerous, some safe materials, like maybe artificial reefs, suggests Vedenin.

He currently wishes that what transpires in the Bay of Lübeck sets a example for replacing habitats after weapon clearance in different areas – because even the most destructive armaments can become foundation for new life.