Nazi Bombs, Torpedoes and Mines: How Ocean Creatures Thrives on Dumped Armaments

In the brackish sea off the German coast lies a wasteland of World War II explosives, torpedoes and naval mines. Discarded from boats at the conclusion of the second world war and forgotten about, thousands explosives have accumulated over the decades. They create a corroding carpet on the shallow, muddy ocean floor of the Bay of Lübeck in the western part of the Baltic.

Over the years, the explosive stockpile was overlooked and neglected. A growing number of tourists came to the coastal areas and calm waters for water sports, kiteboarding and amusement parks. Below the waves, the weapons deteriorated.

Researchers thought to see a lifeless zone, with no life because it was all poisoned, states a scientist.

When the first scientists went searching to see what they were doing to the marine environment, the team thought they would find a desert, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, states a scientist.

What they discovered astonished them. Vedenin remembers his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the underwater vehicle first relayed pictures. It was a remarkable experience, he recalls.

Thousands of ocean life had settled amid the explosives, developing a regenerated marine community denser than the seabed nearby.

This underwater metropolis was testament to the resilience of life. Truly remarkable how much marine organisms we find in areas that are considered toxic and harmful, he explains.

More than 40 sea stars had gathered on to one accessible piece of explosive material. They were residing on iron containers, ignition chambers and storage boxes just centimetres from its dangerous content. Marine fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all observed on the old munitions. You could compare it with a coral reef in terms of the amount of animal life that was there, says Vedenin.

Surprising Creature Concentration

An average of more than 40,000 organisms were dwelling on every square metre of the weapons, experts reported in their research on the finding. The nearby seabed was much less diverse, with only eight thousand organisms on every square metre.

It is ironic that objects that are designed to eliminate all life are attracting so much life, states Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world adapts after a devastating occurrence such as the second world war and how, in some way, life finds its way to the most risky locations.

Man-made Structures as Marine Environments

Artificial constructions such as sunken vessels, wind turbines, oil rigs and pipelines can provide alternatives, compensating for some of the lost habitat. This research shows that munitions could be comparably beneficial – the explosion of life on those in the Bay of Lübeck is probable to be found elsewhere.

Between the late 1940s and the post-war period, 1.6m tons of munitions were disposed of off the German shoreline. Thousands of workers transported them in vessels; a portion were deposited in designated areas, others just discarded at sea during transport. This is the initial instance scientists have recorded how marine life has reacted.

Worldwide Examples of Marine Adaptation

• In the US, retired drilling platforms have turned into reef ecosystems
• Submerged vessels from the first world war have become environments for creatures along the Potomac River in the state of Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to coral off Asan beach in the Pacific island

These places become even more crucial for marine life as the seas are increasingly denuded by fishing, bottom trawling and anchoring. Shipwrecks and munitions areas practically serve as refuges – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, explains Vedenin. Consequently a lot of marine species that are typically rare or diminishing, such as the Baltic cod, are thriving.

Coming Issues

Anywhere warfare has happened in the recent history, surrounding seas are usually strewn with weapons, explains Vedenin. Millions of tons of dangerous substances remain in our marine environments.

The positions of these munitions are inadequately mapped, partly because of international boundaries, restricted armed forces records and the situation that archives are hidden in old files. They pose an explosion and security danger, as well as danger from the continuous release of toxic chemicals.

As the German government and other countries begin removing these remains, researchers aim to safeguard the habitats that have developed around them. In the Bay of Lübeck munitions are currently being extracted.

We should substitute these steel remains originating from munitions with some more secure, some non-dangerous structures, like possibly artificial reefs, says Vedenin.

He now aspires that what happens in the Bay of Lübeck creates a model for replacing structures after munitions removal in other locations – because also the most damaging armaments can become framework for new life.