Nazi Munitions, Torpedoes and Mines: The Way Ocean Creatures Thrives on Abandoned Weapons

In the slightly salty sea off the Germany's coast sits a collection of Nazi bombs, torpedoes and naval mines. Thrown off boats at the end of the second world war and forgotten about, countless explosives have accumulated over the years. They comprise a rusting blanket on the shallow, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic Sea.

Over the decades, the explosive stockpile was ignored and forgotten about. A increasing amount of tourists traveled to the sandy beaches and calm waters for jetskiing, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons eroded.

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

When the team went investigating to see what they were doing to the ecosystem, researchers thought they would find a barren area, with no life because it was all poisoned, states the lead researcher.

What they found astonished them. Vedenin recalls his scientists shouting with surprise when the ROV first relayed pictures. This was a great moment, he notes.

Countless of sea creatures had settled among the explosives, developing a renewed habitat denser than the sea floor around it.

This ocean community was testament to the resilience of marine life. Indeed surprising how much marine organisms we observe in locations that are expected to be dangerous and risky, he explains.

More than 40 starfish had gathered on to one accessible chunk of explosive material. They were residing on iron containers, ignition chambers and storage boxes just a short distance from its volatile core. Marine fish, crabs, sea anemones and mussels were all discovered on the discarded explosives. It's similar to a marine reef in terms of the quantity of creatures that was inhabiting the area, states Vedenin.

Surprising Population Density

An mean of more than 40,000 animals were dwelling on every meter squared of the explosives, experts wrote in their study on the finding. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only 8,000 creatures on every square metre.

It is ironic that items that are meant to kill all life are drawing so much life, explains Vedenin. One can observe how nature evolves after a devastating occurrence such as the World War II and how, in certain respects, marine life establishes itself to the most dangerous places.

Artificial Features as Ocean Habitats

Artificial constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and pipelines can provide alternatives, compensating for some of the destroyed habitat. This investigation shows that explosives could be equally beneficial – the proliferation of marine organisms on those in the Bay of Lübeck is likely to be repeated in other locations.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6 million tonnes of arms were discarded off the Germany's shoreline. Countless of people transported them in vessels; some were deposited in designated areas, the remainder just dumped while traveling. This is the initial instance scientists have documented how ocean organisms has adapted.

Worldwide Examples of Marine Transformation

• In the US, decommissioned oil and gas structures have transformed into marine habitats
• Sunken ships from the first world war have become environments for creatures along the Potomac River in Maryland
• Tank tracks that have become home to coral off Asan beach in Guam

These places become even more crucial for wildlife as the marine environments are increasingly denuded by fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Sunken ships and munitions areas practically function as refuges – they are not national parks, but virtually any kind of anthropogenic disturbance is prohibited, says Vedenin. Therefore a many of species that are typically scarce or declining, such as the Baltic cod, are flourishing.

Coming Issues

Wherever armed conflict has occurred in the recent history, surrounding seas are usually littered with explosives, explains Vedenin. Millions of tons of dangerous substances rest in our seas.

The sites of these munitions are poorly recorded, partly because of national borders, secret defense data and the fact that archives are hidden in old files. They pose an explosion and security risk, as well as danger from the continuous emission of toxic chemicals.

As the German government and additional nations embark on removing these relics, experts hope to safeguard the ecosystems that have established nearby. In the Lübeck Bay weapons are already being extracted.

Researchers recommend replace these steel remains remaining from weapons with certain less dangerous, some safe materials, like maybe concrete structures, says Vedenin.

He currently aspires that what transpires in Lübeck creates a model for replacing material after explosive extraction elsewhere – because even the most destructive explosives can become foundation for new life.