Nazi Munitions, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: The Way Marine Life Thrives on Discarded Armaments

In the brackish sea off the German shoreline lies a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Discarded from barges at the end of the second world war and forgotten about, numerous munitions have fused into clusters over the years. They create a decaying blanket on the low-depth, muddy ocean floor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and neglected. A increasing amount of tourists traveled to the coastal areas and tranquil sea for jetskiing, kiteboarding and entertainment venues. Below the waves, the munitions deteriorated.

Researchers expected to see a desert, with no organisms because it was all poisoned, says Andrey Vedenin.

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were doing to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a desert, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, explains the lead researcher.

What they discovered astonished them. Vedenin recounts his team members shouting with surprise when the submersible first relayed pictures. That moment was a great moment, he notes.

Numerous of ocean life had made their homes among the weapons, developing a regenerated ecosystem denser than the ocean bottom around it.

This underwater metropolis was proof to the resilience of marine life. It is actually surprising how much marine organisms we discover in areas that are considered hazardous and harmful, he says.

In excess of 40 starfish had gathered on to one exposed fragment of explosive material. They were dwelling on steel casings, detonator compartments and transport cases just a short distance from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crustaceans, anemones and mussels were all found on the discarded explosives. It resembles a coral reef in terms of the abundance of creatures that was present, notes Vedenin.

Unexpected Population Density

An average of more than 40,000 animals were living on every square metre of the explosives, scientists reported in their paper on the finding. The surrounding area was much sparser, with only eight thousand organisms on every meter squared.

It is surprising that objects that are meant to eliminate everything are drawing so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. You can see how nature evolves after a catastrophic event such as the World War II and how, in some way, marine life establishes itself to the most hazardous places.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Habitats

Artificial features such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, oil rigs and pipelines can provide replacements, restoring some of the removed habitat. This research shows that explosives could be comparably beneficial – the bloom of marine organisms on those in the Lübeck Bay is expected to be repeated in other locations.

Between 1946 and the post-war period, 1.6 million tons of arms were disposed of off the Germany's shoreline. Thousands of people placed them in barges; a portion were placed in designated locations, the remainder just thrown overboard while traveling. This is the initial instance experts have recorded how ocean organisms has adapted.

Worldwide Examples of Ocean Transformation

• In the United States, decommissioned energy installations have transformed into marine habitats
• Submerged vessels from the first world war have become habitats for creatures along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These areas become even more important for wildlife as the marine environments are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Sunken ships and explosive disposal locations effectively serve as protected areas – they are not official reserves, but almost any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is prohibited, explains Vedenin. Consequently a many of species that are usually scarce or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are prospering.

Coming Considerations

Wherever armed conflict has taken place in the last century, surrounding seas are usually littered with munitions, says Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of explosive material remain in our seas.

The locations of these weapons are poorly mapped, partly because of international boundaries, secret defense data and the reality that archives are stored in historical records. They pose an explosion and safety hazard, as well as danger from the continuous release of hazardous substances.

As Germany and other countries embark on extracting these artifacts, experts plan to protect the marine communities that have formed in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are presently being removed.

We should substitute these metal carcasses left from weapons with some less dangerous, some non-dangerous structures, like possibly concrete structures, states Vedenin.

He currently hopes that what transpires in the Bay of Lübeck sets a example for substituting habitats after explosive extraction in other locations – because even the most damaging armaments can become framework for marine organisms.