🔗 Share this article Nazi Munitions, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Prosper on Discarded Weapons In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast rests a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Thrown off vessels at the end of the second world war and forgotten about, countless munitions have accumulated over the decades. They create a corroding blanket on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic Sea. Over the years, the explosive stockpile was ignored and neglected. A growing number of tourists flocked to the coastal areas and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Below the waves, the weapons deteriorated. Some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, states the lead researcher. When the initial researchers went investigating to see what they were doing to the marine environment, some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all toxic, says the lead researcher. What they observed surprised them. Vedenin recalls his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the submersible first transmitted footage. This was a memorable occasion, he says. Countless of ocean life had settled on the weapons, developing a renewed habitat denser than the ocean bottom nearby. This ocean community was testament to the tenacity of marine life. It is actually remarkable how much life we observe in places that are supposed to be hazardous and harmful, he states. More than 40 sea stars had gathered on to one visible fragment of TNT. They were dwelling on metal shells, ignition chambers and storage boxes just a short distance from its volatile core. Fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all found on the discarded explosives. It resembles a coral reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was present, states Vedenin. Unexpected Creature Concentration An average of more than forty thousand creatures were living on every meter squared of the weapons, researchers wrote in their paper on the discovery. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only 8,000 individuals on every square metre. It is ironic that items that are designed to destroy everything are drawing so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world adjusts after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, marine life finds its way to the most risky locations. Man-made Structures as Ocean Habitats Man-made structures such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can create substitutes, restoring some of the destroyed habitat. This research reveals that munitions could be equally beneficial – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be found in different areas. Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of weapons were disposed of off the German shoreline. Thousands of individuals loaded them in boats; a portion were dropped in specific sites, others just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the initial instance scientists have documented how ocean organisms has adapted. Global Instances of Ocean Adaptation In the US, retired drilling platforms have turned into reef ecosystems Submerged vessels from the first world war have become habitats for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland Tank tracks that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in Guam These locations become even more valuable for wildlife as the seas are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites effectively serve as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is restricted, explains Vedenin. As a result a many of species that are usually scarce or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving. Coming Factors Anywhere warfare has happened in the past 100 years, surrounding seas are often strewn with munitions, explains Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of explosive material lie in our marine environments. The positions of these weapons are insufficiently documented, partially because of international boundaries, restricted military information and the reality that documents are hidden in historical records. They pose an detonation and safety risk, as well as threat from the persistent leakage of poisonous compounds. As Germany and other countries begin clearing these relics, researchers hope to safeguard the habitats that have established in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck weapons are presently being cleared. It would be wise to replace these iron structures originating from weapons with some more secure, some harmless materials, like perhaps concrete structures, suggests Vedenin. He presently wishes that what transpires in Lübeck creates a example for replacing structures after explosive extraction in different areas – because even the most harmful weaponry can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.
In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's coast rests a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Thrown off vessels at the end of the second world war and forgotten about, countless munitions have accumulated over the decades. They create a corroding blanket on the low-depth, muddy seafloor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic Sea. Over the years, the explosive stockpile was ignored and neglected. A growing number of tourists flocked to the coastal areas and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Below the waves, the weapons deteriorated. Some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all contaminated, states the lead researcher. When the initial researchers went investigating to see what they were doing to the marine environment, some of us expected to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all toxic, says the lead researcher. What they observed surprised them. Vedenin recalls his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the submersible first transmitted footage. This was a memorable occasion, he says. Countless of ocean life had settled on the weapons, developing a renewed habitat denser than the ocean bottom nearby. This ocean community was testament to the tenacity of marine life. It is actually remarkable how much life we observe in places that are supposed to be hazardous and harmful, he states. More than 40 sea stars had gathered on to one visible fragment of TNT. They were dwelling on metal shells, ignition chambers and storage boxes just a short distance from its volatile core. Fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all found on the discarded explosives. It resembles a coral reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was present, states Vedenin. Unexpected Creature Concentration An average of more than forty thousand creatures were living on every meter squared of the weapons, researchers wrote in their paper on the discovery. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only 8,000 individuals on every square metre. It is ironic that items that are designed to destroy everything are drawing so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world adjusts after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, marine life finds its way to the most risky locations. Man-made Structures as Ocean Habitats Man-made structures such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can create substitutes, restoring some of the destroyed habitat. This research reveals that munitions could be equally beneficial – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is likely to be found in different areas. Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of weapons were disposed of off the German shoreline. Thousands of individuals loaded them in boats; a portion were dropped in specific sites, others just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the initial instance scientists have documented how ocean organisms has adapted. Global Instances of Ocean Adaptation In the US, retired drilling platforms have turned into reef ecosystems Submerged vessels from the first world war have become habitats for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland Tank tracks that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in Guam These locations become even more valuable for wildlife as the seas are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Sunken ships and weapons dump sites effectively serve as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but virtually any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is restricted, explains Vedenin. As a result a many of species that are usually scarce or decreasing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving. Coming Factors Anywhere warfare has happened in the past 100 years, surrounding seas are often strewn with munitions, explains Vedenin. Millions of tonnes of explosive material lie in our marine environments. The positions of these weapons are insufficiently documented, partially because of international boundaries, restricted military information and the reality that documents are hidden in historical records. They pose an detonation and safety risk, as well as threat from the persistent leakage of poisonous compounds. As Germany and other countries begin clearing these relics, researchers hope to safeguard the habitats that have established in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck weapons are presently being cleared. It would be wise to replace these iron structures originating from weapons with some more secure, some harmless materials, like perhaps concrete structures, suggests Vedenin. He presently wishes that what transpires in Lübeck creates a example for replacing structures after explosive extraction in different areas – because even the most harmful weaponry can become foundation for ocean ecosystems.