Ticking ecological time bombs: Risk characterisation and management of oil polluting World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean

Carter, Matthew; Goodsir, Freya; Cundall, Peter; Fuller, Sascha; Jeffery, Bill; Hil, Greg; Talouli, Anthony

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112087

Cited by 20 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Unfortunately, this is not the case in the South Atlantic Ocean. Recently, tools for quantitatively estimating the potential risks from polluting shipwrecks have been discussed (Carter et al, 2021;Monfils, 2005;Monfils et al, 2006;Landquist et al, 2013) in order to support remediation by governments and other potential actors. More than 500 shipwrecks from WWII are known to exist in the South Atlantic Ocean (Sixtant, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine debris from the past - Contamination of the Brazilian shore by a WWII wreck

Teixeira

Cavalcante

Soares

et al. 2021

Marine Environmental Research

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine debris from the past - Contamination of the Brazilian shore by a WWII wreck

Teixeira

Cavalcante

Soares

et al. 2021

Marine Environmental Research

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“…3). Millions of gallons of oil lie underwater trapped in shipwrecks, particularly from wars though not all, and unexploded ordinances pose additional threats (Carter 2021). Unfortunately, while some oil leak origins are known, many come from unknown sources and will definitely cause future damage (National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration 2012).…”

Section: Bottom Trawling Deep Seabed Mining and Potentially Polluting...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Threats to Underwater Cultural Heritage from Existing and Future Human Activities

2023

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Our ocean heritage (natural and cultural) is at risk from destructive human activities, including bottom trawling, deep seabed mining (DSM), and potentially polluting wrecks (PPWs). The stories of our societies and our ancestors are often connected with the ocean and captured on the seafloor as artifacts, shipwrecks and the remains of those lost or buried at sea. Previously, marine global heritage protection efforts have been largely focused on natural heritage. However, Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) is also ocean heritage and must be considered the same way. We must shine a light on UCH as heritage and insist that it be part of Marine Spatial Planning with integrated ocean and coastal management. Approaches include, but are not limited to, (1) Conducting baseline surveys to identify heritage that should be conserved and preserved for present and future generations; (2) Environmental assessments taking into account the impact of human activities on both natural and cultural heritage; (3) Measures to identify, avoid or minimize the adverse impacts; and (4) The application of a precautionary approach to trawling, DSM and salvage of PPWs, calling for a moratorium on these activities unless and until steps 1 – 3 have been accomplished, permits/other management controls are in place and significant natural and cultural sites have been designated as protected areas.

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“…Their pollution potential varies on the basis of the vessel’s construction material, the cargo that the vessel carried when it sank, and the local environmental and human-induced factors that influence the wreck's structural integrity over time (e.g., storms, salvage; Carter et al. 2021 ). Some metal vessels leach heavy metals such as arsenic, copper, and lead as they corrode, which can influence nearby biota (Van Landuyt et al.…”

Section: Fundamental Ecological Functions and Processes Manifest On S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Shipwreck ecology: Understanding the function and processes from microbes to megafauna

Paxton,

McGonigle,

Damour

et al. 2023

BioScience

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An estimated three million shipwrecks exist worldwide and are recognized as cultural resources and foci of archaeological investigations. Shipwrecks also support ecological resources by providing underwater habitats that can be colonized by diverse organisms ranging from microbes to megafauna. In the present article, we review the emerging ecological subdiscipline of shipwreck ecology, which aims to understand ecological functions and processes that occur on shipwrecks. We synthesize how shipwrecks create habitat for biota across multiple trophic levels and then describe how fundamental ecological functions and processes, including succession, zonation, connectivity, energy flow, disturbance, and habitat degradation, manifest on shipwrecks. We highlight future directions in shipwreck ecology that are ripe for exploration, placing a particular emphasis on how shipwrecks may serve as experimental networks to address long-standing ecological questions.

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Ticking ecological time bombs: Risk characterisation and management of oil polluting World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean

Cited by 20 publications

References 21 publications

Marine debris from the past - Contamination of the Brazilian shore by a WWII wreck

Marine debris from the past - Contamination of the Brazilian shore by a WWII wreck

Threats to Underwater Cultural Heritage from Existing and Future Human Activities

Shipwreck ecology: Understanding the function and processes from microbes to megafauna

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