Overview

• ROV surveys from October 2024, now published in Communications Earth & Environment, documented about 43,000 organisms per square meter on V1 warheads compared with roughly 8,200 in surrounding sediments.
• Only eight species were recorded on the warheads, with starfish, sea anemones, crabs and worms dominating as they exploited the hard substrate.
• Measurements detected high concentrations of TNT, ammonium nitrate and phosphorus near the ordnance, and researchers observed adjacent patches devoid of life consistent with localized toxicity.
• The warheads are slated for recovery, which scientists describe as difficult because corroded and fused items can release hazardous substances during handling.
• Germany has launched a €100 million emergency program with contractor recoveries underway in Lübeck Bay, and the research team proposes replacing removed hard-substrate habitat with stones or concrete in a region holding an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of wartime munitions.