According to a study, a shipwreck from World War II is still contaminating the North Sea’s marine microbiology. More than 80 years after it was sunk, the ship is still spewing explosives and other pollutants into the ocean below. The new study was released in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on Tuesday.
“The general public is often quite interested in shipwrecks because of their historical value, but the potential environmental impact of these wrecks is often overlooked,” study author Josefien Van Landuyt, a doctoral candidate, bioengineer, and microbiologist at Ghent University in Belgium, was quoted as saying.”
V-1302 John Mahn ship is currently operating in the Belgian portion of the North Sea
The V-1302 John Mahn, which is currently operating in the Belgian portion of the North Sea, was formerly a German fishing trawler. It was commandeered by the German Navy to act as a patrol ship during World War II. On February 12, 1942, six British Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricane planes patrolling the Belgian coast attacked the ship.
Bombs also struck it, causing it to sink and taking the lives of 11 sailors. Aside from the boat, the cargo also included coal and weapons, which are currently leaking into the water. Along with hydrocarbons, coal, and crude oil, heavy metals including nickel, copper, and arsenic were also discovered.
Shipwrecks from both world wars contain somewhere between 2.5 mn and 20.4 mn metric tonnes of petroleum products
As part of the North Sea Wrecks project, a study of the shipwrecks scattered across the North Sea bed was carried out. It was discovered that shipwrecks from both world wars contain somewhere between 2.5 million and 20.4 million metric tonnes of petroleum products in all of the globe’s waters. The researchers are optimistic that the authorities would investigate strategies to protect the environment and take the issue seriously.
Van Landuyt also said that shipwrecks become more and more dangerous to the environment over time as corrosion opens up enclosed spaces.
“While wrecks can function as artificial reefs and have tremendous human story-telling value, we should not forget that they can be dangerous, human-made objects which were unintentionally introduced into a natural environment,” Van Landuyt said. “Today, new shipwrecks are removed for this exact reason.”
