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Munitions in the sea

To harm or to kill, munitions are made for. Most munitions are containing explosives or other harmful chemicals. If munitions are rusting on the seabed, these chemicals get into the seawater. Plants, animals and humans may get in contact by swimming or eating. Especially fish get in contact by “breathing” under water. Sometimes even very old munition explodes randomly or when something bumps into it.

Only people who know about this danger can avoid accidents.

What is the purpose of this website?

This website provides information on munitions in the sea. This is important, because there are masses of munitions at the bottom of the seas. Especially of North American and European seas and oceans. In order to protect us, scientists are doing research. The researcher explain the harm to the environment. People try to find ways of getting munitions out of the sea again. This will help to preserve healthy and productive Seas and Oceans for the future.

Why are munitions in the sea?

The munitions are from previous wars. Munitions were deployed for training and military operations. Weapons and explosives sank into the seas during sea battle. Bombs went blind that have missed their target. At the end of the World War II in 1945, people deliberately dumped weapons and explosives in the sea to get rid of them. At that time, people did not worry that this could become dangerous later on.

What is so dangerous?

Munitions are containing hazardous chemicals. Mistaking lumps of explosives as pebble stones or white Phosphorus as amber from beaches may cause direct harm to your skin at fingers and hands. The chemicals inside the munitions can get lit instantly if warm, dry and at air. The munitions can explode too.

The munitions lie now under water for nearly 80 years. Many parts of the munitions are made of iron. That is why they rust in salty seawater. The metal becomes thinner and thinner due to the rust. Holes and cracks appear and chemicals get into the sea.

Thus, there are two very different dangers: You can be injured by explosion or fire. You can get sick by taking in even very small amounts of these chemicals. But that’s not all. The toxic pollutants are distributed in the seawater. Animals such as mussels, fish and birds will eat it as well. The animals become ill or die. If we are eating seafood with these chemicals inside, we might get sick from it too.

Can we get munitions out of the sea again?

It is no solution to just blast munitions where it is right now. Underwater blasts are dangerous for life close by. Undetonated shares of the chemicals will remain in the sea. They pollute it more intense, as if released over long time.

Environmental friendly methods must be employed for remediation. Remediation is possible today. There are safe solutions for many munition types. Additionally, we need to develop smart technology. In future diving robots rather than diving humans should handle life-threatening objects under water. As there is so much munitions in the seas and oceans, it will take many years. To make it happen in time, we need to start now!

The remediation will cost a lot of money. Thus rational decisions are important. We must decide on facts what to take out and how.

Explosions under water – what happens to animals?

An explosion causes a very loud bang in the air. The same happens under water. This bang is called shockwave. The shockwave kills all life close by. The ears of small whales and seals getting hurt. They will die from this injury later.

Extremely dangerous munitions must sometimes be detonated under water. In this case, a curtain of air-bubbles around the place of the explosion can limit the danger of the bang. Other devices can scare away animals to beware them off the explosion. Today too many blasts happen. We need to prevent reefs and marine animals of harm by us.

What happens to salvaged munitions on land?

On land, experts take any munitions to safe and well-guarded places. They investigate all details and decide about the final demolition. Some munitions can be dismantled and individual parts are recycled, disposed of and incinerated in an environmentally friendly way. Other objects are just cut into pieces. Then they go into heated chambers. Everything is burned inside the chamber. The chambers are equipped with smart technique to control and clean all off gases of the burned munitions.