🔗 Share this article Nazi Bombs, Torpedo Heads and Mines: How Ocean Creatures Thrives on Dumped Weapons In the slightly salty sea off the German shoreline lies a collection of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and mines. Thrown off boats at the conclusion of the second world war and forgotten about, numerous weapons have accumulated over the years. They comprise a decaying carpet on the low-depth, muddy ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western tip of the Baltic Sea. Over the years, the explosive stockpile was ignored and forgotten about. A growing number of visitors traveled to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the munitions decayed. We initially expected to see a desert, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says a scientist. When the initial researchers went searching to see what they were doing to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states a scientist. What they found surprised them. Vedenin recounts his colleagues shouting with surprise when the underwater vehicle first relayed pictures. That moment was a remarkable experience, he notes. Thousands of sea creatures had established habitats among the weapons, creating a regenerated ecosystem denser than the sea floor nearby. This ocean community was proof to the persistence of life. Indeed astonishing how much life we observe in areas that are expected to be hazardous and harmful, he says. Over 40 sea stars had piled on to one accessible piece of TNT. They were living on iron containers, detonator compartments and transport cases just a short distance from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all found on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a coral reef in terms of the quantity of creatures that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin. Unexpected Creature Concentration An mean of more than 40,000 animals were dwelling on every square metre of the explosives, researchers documented in their research on the discovery. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only 8,000 organisms on every meter squared. It is surprising that things that are intended to destroy all life are attracting so much life, explains Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life establishes itself to the most dangerous places. Artificial Structures as Marine Environments Man-made features such as shipwrecks, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can offer substitutes, replacing some of the lost habitat. This research demonstrates that munitions could be comparably positive – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be found in other locations. Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were dumped off the German shoreline. Thousands of people transported them in boats; a portion were deposited in designated areas, others just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the first time scientists have recorded how marine life has responded. Worldwide Examples of Ocean Transformation In the US, decommissioned energy installations have become marine habitats Shipwrecks from the first world war have become homes for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland Tank tracks that have become home to reef-building organisms off Asan in the Pacific island These places become even more crucial for organisms as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations effectively function as refuges – they are not national parks, but almost any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is banned, states Vedenin. Therefore a many of organisms that are typically scarce or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are thriving. Future Issues Wherever armed conflict has happened in the last century, surrounding seas are typically strewn with weapons, says Vedenin. Millions of tons of volatile compounds rest in our marine environments. The sites of these explosives are poorly mapped, partly because of national borders, classified armed forces records and the fact that records are buried in historical records. They pose an explosion and security hazard, as well as danger from the ongoing emission of hazardous substances. As Germany and other countries begin removing these relics, experts plan to preserve the marine communities that have developed in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are presently being cleared. We should replace these metal carcasses remaining from munitions with certain less dangerous, some harmless structures, like possibly concrete structures, states Vedenin. He presently aspires that what transpires in Lübeck creates a precedent for replacing material after explosive extraction elsewhere – because also the most damaging weaponry can become scaffolding for ocean ecosystems.
In the slightly salty sea off the German shoreline lies a collection of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and mines. Thrown off boats at the conclusion of the second world war and forgotten about, numerous weapons have accumulated over the years. They comprise a decaying carpet on the low-depth, muddy ocean floor of the Lübeck Bay in the western tip of the Baltic Sea. Over the years, the explosive stockpile was ignored and forgotten about. A growing number of visitors traveled to the sandy beaches and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Beneath the surface, the munitions decayed. We initially expected to see a desert, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says a scientist. When the initial researchers went searching to see what they were doing to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a barren area, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states a scientist. What they found surprised them. Vedenin recounts his colleagues shouting with surprise when the underwater vehicle first relayed pictures. That moment was a remarkable experience, he notes. Thousands of sea creatures had established habitats among the weapons, creating a regenerated ecosystem denser than the sea floor nearby. This ocean community was proof to the persistence of life. Indeed astonishing how much life we observe in areas that are expected to be hazardous and harmful, he says. Over 40 sea stars had piled on to one accessible piece of TNT. They were living on iron containers, detonator compartments and transport cases just a short distance from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all found on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a coral reef in terms of the quantity of creatures that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin. Unexpected Creature Concentration An mean of more than 40,000 animals were dwelling on every square metre of the explosives, researchers documented in their research on the discovery. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only 8,000 organisms on every meter squared. It is surprising that things that are intended to destroy all life are attracting so much life, explains Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life establishes itself to the most dangerous places. Artificial Structures as Marine Environments Man-made features such as shipwrecks, wind turbines, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can offer substitutes, replacing some of the lost habitat. This research demonstrates that munitions could be comparably positive – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is probable to be found in other locations. Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tonnes of munitions were dumped off the German shoreline. Thousands of people transported them in boats; a portion were deposited in designated areas, others just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the first time scientists have recorded how marine life has responded. Worldwide Examples of Ocean Transformation In the US, decommissioned energy installations have become marine habitats Shipwrecks from the first world war have become homes for wildlife along the Potomac in the state of Maryland Tank tracks that have become home to reef-building organisms off Asan in the Pacific island These places become even more crucial for organisms as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by commercial fishing, seafloor dredging and anchoring. Shipwrecks and explosive disposal locations effectively function as refuges – they are not national parks, but almost any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is banned, states Vedenin. Therefore a many of organisms that are typically scarce or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are thriving. Future Issues Wherever armed conflict has happened in the last century, surrounding seas are typically strewn with weapons, says Vedenin. Millions of tons of volatile compounds rest in our marine environments. The sites of these explosives are poorly mapped, partly because of national borders, classified armed forces records and the fact that records are buried in historical records. They pose an explosion and security hazard, as well as danger from the ongoing emission of hazardous substances. As Germany and other countries begin removing these relics, experts plan to preserve the marine communities that have developed in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are presently being cleared. We should replace these metal carcasses remaining from munitions with certain less dangerous, some harmless structures, like possibly concrete structures, states Vedenin. He presently aspires that what transpires in Lübeck creates a precedent for replacing material after explosive extraction elsewhere – because also the most damaging weaponry can become scaffolding for ocean ecosystems.