World War II Bombs, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: How Ocean Creatures Prosper on Discarded Weapons

In the brackish sea off the Germany's coast sits a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and naval mines. Thrown off vessels at the conclusion of the second world war and forgotten about, countless explosives have become matted together over the decades. They create a corroding layer on the shallow, silty seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the years, the Nazi arsenal was overlooked and forgotten about. A growing number of tourists traveled to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons deteriorated.

We initially thought to see a barren area, with no life because it was all poisoned, explains Andrey Vedenin.

When the first scientists went investigating to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a barren area, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, states Andrey Vedenin.

What they found amazed them. Vedenin recounts his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the underwater vehicle first sent the images back. That moment was a memorable occasion, he recalls.

Thousands of sea creatures had established habitats among the explosives, creating a regenerated marine community richer than the seabed around it.

This underwater metropolis was proof to the persistence of life. It is actually remarkable how much life we observe in locations that are expected to be toxic and harmful, he explains.

Over 40 starfish had piled on to one accessible piece of TNT. They were dwelling on steel casings, ignition chambers and carrying containers just a short distance from its explosive filling. Marine fish, crabs, anemones and bivalves were all observed on the historic weapons. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the abundance of creatures that was inhabiting the area, says Vedenin.

Remarkable Population Density

An average of more than 40,000 animals were living on every meter squared of the explosives, scientists documented in their study on the observation. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only 8,000 organisms on every square metre.

It is surprising that items that are meant to eliminate all life are attracting so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world adapts after a devastating occurrence such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, life returns to the most dangerous places.

Artificial Features as Marine Environments

Man-made constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can create substitutes, compensating for some of the lost marine environment. This research reveals that weapons could be equally positive – the bloom of life on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be found elsewhere.

Between 1946 and the post-war period, 1.6 million tons of munitions were dumped off the Germany's shoreline. Numerous of individuals loaded them in boats; some were dropped in allocated areas, others just dumped during transport. This is the initial instance researchers have studied how marine life has responded.

Worldwide Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned drilling platforms have turned into reef ecosystems
• Submerged vessels from the first world war have become homes for marine life along the Potomac in the state of Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become environment to coral off Asan beach in Guam

These places become even more valuable for marine life as the oceans are increasingly denuded by fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Sunken ships and explosive disposal locations essentially serve as refuges – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. Consequently a numerous of species that are typically uncommon or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are prospering.

Future Issues

Wherever armed conflict has happened in the last century, nearby oceans are often strewn with explosives, says Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of volatile compounds lie in our seas.

The locations of these munitions are insufficiently mapped, partially because of sovereign limits, restricted defense data and the situation that records are stored in historic archives. They present an explosion and security risk, as well as risk from the ongoing leakage of toxic chemicals.

As Germany and different states start clearing these relics, researchers hope to safeguard the habitats that have formed nearby. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are currently being extracted.

It would be wise to replace these iron structures remaining from munitions with some less dangerous, various non-dangerous structures, like maybe artificial reefs, says Vedenin.

He currently wishes that what happens in Lübeck creates a precedent for substituting structures after explosive extraction in different areas – because even the most damaging armaments can become scaffolding for marine organisms.