A unique and surprising scene has been seen in the depths of the sea. Millions of tons of old ammunition from the Second World War are lying in the Baltic Sea in Germany. These explosives have been rotting under water for more than 80 years. Scientists hoped that no life would survive in such a dangerous and poisonous area.
There was a surprise when he lowered the remote control camera (ROV) from the research vessel ALKOR. Animals like crabs, fishes, starfish, anemones, mussels and bristleworms were living happily on these old missiles, bombs and mines. Scientists are calling it the Chernobyl of the sea because here nature has created life on the pile of death.
Where and why were 16 lakh tons of ammunition dumped?
After World War II Germany There was a lot of unused ammunition left. It was thrown into the sea. 1.6 million tons of explosives were dumped between two places named Halfkrug and Pelzerhaken in Lübeck Bay, Germany. These include missiles, torpedoes, bombs and mines.
At that time people thought that the ocean was so big that these things would not cause any harm. But now these explosives are rotting. A poisonous chemical named TNT (Trinitrotoluene) is dissolving in water. Yet marine life is thriving on these old metal corpses.
Marine biologist Andre Wedenin of Germany’s Senckenberg am Meer Research Institute took pictures of the entire area with an ROV. He observed that most of the organisms had settled on the metal bodies, transport parts and warhead shells of the old missiles. Anemones, starfish, hydroid polyps and bristleworms were most visible.
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Some creatures even liked these old metals more than natural rocks. Wedenin said that most of the organisms are hiding by sticking to the surface of the metal. Only those places where the explosives were fully exposed were vacant. Bubbles were forming on them. Even the bristleworm did not go there.
Why did crabs and fish settle on these explosives?
According to scientists, there are less natural rocks in the depths of the sea. Old metal objects are giving these creatures a strong place where they can cling, hide and find food. The same happens on old ships like shipwrecks. But there are explosives here. Still, crabs, fishes and other creatures are living comfortably on them.
Some scientists believe that this metal surface makes them feel safe. Although the toxicity of TNT is high in the surrounding water, the organisms living on the surface are still avoiding it. These explosives are still very dangerous. They are slowly rotting and TNT is dissolving in water.
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The amount of TNT in Lübeck Bay is much higher than in the rest of the Baltic Sea. Fishes and crabs are coming in contact with this poison. If this poison enters the food chain, it can reach humans. Scientists warn that such old explosives are slowly poisoning the ocean.
Andre Wedenin says that these old explosives should be removed and replaced with things with safer and stronger surfaces. marine from this Environment It will be better and the leakage of poison will also stop. He said that new artificial surfaces can become a weapon of conservation for the ocean. Although some people say that adding new things can change the environment, but in this particular case it will be beneficial.
The ocean once again showed that nature can create life even on the heap of death. 16 lakh tonnes of explosives have now become home to crabs, fish and other creatures. But these houses are spewing poison. Scientists are now thinking that these old dead things should be replaced in a safe manner so that the ocean remains clean and the animals remain safe.
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