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

In the slightly salty waters off the Germany's shoreline sits a graveyard of Nazi bombs, torpedo heads and mines. Discarded from barges at the end of the second world war and neglected, countless weapons have become matted together over the decades. They form 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 ignored and forgotten about. A growing number of visitors flocked to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for water sports, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Underwater, the weapons eroded.

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

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, the team anticipated finding a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, states a scientist.

What they discovered astonished them. Vedenin recounts his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the underwater vehicle first relayed pictures. This was a memorable occasion, he recalls.

Thousands of ocean life had established habitats among the explosives, creating a revitalized marine community richer than the seabed nearby.

This underwater metropolis was testament to the resilience of marine life. Truly surprising how much life we observe in areas that are expected to be hazardous and dangerous, he states.

In excess of 40 sea stars had clustered on to one visible chunk of TNT. They were residing on iron containers, detonator compartments and transport cases just centimetres from its volatile core. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and bivalves were all discovered on the historic weapons. You could compare it with a reef ecosystem in terms of the abundance of animal life that was there, says Vedenin.

Remarkable Creature Concentration

An mean of more than 40,000 organisms were living on every meter squared of the explosives, experts wrote in their paper on the discovery. The nearby seabed was much sparser, with only 8,000 individuals on every square metre.

It is surprising that items that are meant to kill all life are attracting so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. One can observe how the natural world adapts after a devastating occurrence such as the second world war and how, in some way, marine life establishes itself to the most risky areas.

Artificial Structures as Marine Environments

Man-made structures such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and pipelines can provide substitutes, compensating for some of the removed marine environment. This study reveals that explosives could be comparably positive – the explosion of life on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be repeated elsewhere.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6m tonnes of weapons were discarded off the Germany's shoreline. Thousands of individuals transported them in barges; some were placed in specific locations, the remainder just thrown overboard en route. This is the first time scientists have documented how marine life has responded.

Global Examples of Marine Adaptation

• In the United States, retired oil and gas structures have turned into coral reefs
• Sunken ships from the World War I have become environments for creatures along the Potomac in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become environment to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These areas become even more important for marine life as the seas are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Sunken ships and explosive disposal locations essentially function as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. Consequently a many of species that are usually rare or declining, such as the cod fish, are thriving.

Future Factors

Anywhere military conflict has happened in the last century, nearby oceans are often containing explosives, explains Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of dangerous substances rest in our marine environments.

The positions of these weapons are insufficiently documented, partially because of national borders, secret defense data and the fact that documents are stored in historical records. They create an explosion and safety danger, as well as danger from the persistent release of toxic chemicals.

As the German government and additional nations begin clearing these remains, researchers plan to protect the habitats that have established in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are currently being removed.

Researchers recommend replace these steel remains originating from weapons with certain less dangerous, some non-dangerous objects, like perhaps man-made habitats, says Vedenin.

He presently wishes that what occurs in Lübeck creates a example for replacing material after weapon clearance elsewhere – because even the most destructive explosives can become foundation for marine organisms.