World War II Bombs, Torpedoes and Naval Mines: How Ocean Creatures Prosper on Dumped Weapons

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast lies a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and mines. Thrown off boats at the conclusion of the second world war and left behind, numerous weapons have fused into clusters over the decades. They form a rusting layer on the shallow, silty ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western tip of the Baltic Sea.

Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and neglected. A growing number of tourists came to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for water sports, kite surfing and amusement parks. Underwater, the munitions eroded.

We initially thought to see a desert, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states a scientist.

When the initial researchers went looking to see what they were doing to the marine environment, some of us anticipated finding a barren area, with no life because it was all poisoned, says the lead researcher.

What they discovered amazed them. Vedenin recounts his colleagues exclaiming in amazement when the submersible first relayed pictures. That moment was a great moment, he says.

Thousands of marine animals had established habitats amid the weapons, forming a regenerated habitat more populous than the seabed surrounding it.

This ocean community was proof to the persistence of life. Truly remarkable how much life we observe in areas that are considered toxic and risky, he explains.

Over 40 sea stars had clustered on to one visible chunk of explosive material. They were living on steel casings, fuse pockets and carrying containers just a short distance from its volatile core. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all discovered on the old munitions. It resembles a reef ecosystem in terms of the amount of fauna that was there, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Population Density

An mean of more than 40,000 creatures were living on every meter squared of the munitions, experts documented in their study on the observation. The adjacent region was much less diverse, with only 8,000 creatures on every meter squared.

It is surprising that things that are intended to destroy all life are hosting so much marine organisms, states Vedenin. You can see how the natural world evolves after a devastating occurrence such as the second world war and how, in some way, marine life establishes itself to the most hazardous areas.

Man-made Features as Ocean Environments

Artificial features such as shipwrecks, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can create replacements, compensating for some of the removed marine environment. This study shows that munitions could be comparably positive – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is likely to be repeated in different areas.

Between 1946 and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were discarded off the Germany's coast. Thousands of workers loaded them in boats; a portion were deposited in specific locations, others just dumped en route. This is the initial instance researchers have studied how marine life has responded.

Worldwide Instances of Marine Adaptation

• In the US, decommissioned oil and gas structures have turned into marine habitats
• Sunken ships from the World War I have become habitats for wildlife along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become home to reef-building organisms off Asan in Guam

These locations become even more valuable for wildlife as the seas are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations effectively function as protected areas – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is banned, says Vedenin. As a result a lot of species that are otherwise rare or diminishing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving.

Coming Issues

Anywhere warfare has occurred in the last century, surrounding seas are usually littered with weapons, explains Vedenin. Many millions of tons of volatile compounds rest in our oceans.

The positions of these munitions are inadequately documented, partially because of international boundaries, classified defense data and the situation that records are buried in old files. They create an explosion and safety risk, as well as risk from the continuous leakage of hazardous substances.

As Germany and other countries embark on removing these relics, scientists aim to preserve the marine communities that have established around them. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are currently being extracted.

Researchers recommend replace these steel remains originating from munitions with some less dangerous, some harmless objects, like maybe concrete structures, says Vedenin.

He presently wishes that what happens in Lübeck sets a model for replacing material after munitions removal elsewhere – because including the most harmful armaments can become foundation for new life.