Lloyd’s Register Foundation commissions MAST to identify polluting wreck sites in the Arctic
The Arctic Ocean saw millions of tonnes of ship traffic during the First and Second World Wars. In World War Two in particular, Germany’s invasion of Norway and the Soviet Union meant that the Allies needed Arctic convoys to keep these trade routes open.
Many of these ships failed to return from these journeys, as they were targeted by German warships, U-boats and aircraft; now, their corroding wrecks pose a potential threat of pollution, both from leaking oil and unexploded ordnance. Unauthorised salvage in many cases exacerbates this threat.
Now, thanks to a £49,000 contract from Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) and its partner the Maritime Observatory, aim to identify all military and merchant marine vessels lost in the area of the Arctic convoys during both the First and Second World Wars – estimated to be about 200 wrecks.
The project will use a range of satellite-based remote sensing techniques to assess the identified sites for historic evidence of pollution and fuel leaks.
This is a vital part of building the available evidence for Project Tangaroa, which convenes stakeholders and expertise to mobilise action on the urgent global issue of potentially polluting wrecks.
The phased approach of MAST’s research into Arctic convoy wrecks has the potential to help inform automation of analysis of satellite imagery, and results will be shared with the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and UK Ministry of Defence. The project will help to articulate the nature and scale of wrecks in the Arctic region, as well as pollution threats posed.
The resulting database and project report will be made publicly available and could form a template for monitoring potentially polluting wreck sites in other regions.
MAST CEO, Jessica Berry, said: “This is a very timely project. Legacy wrecks are posing an ever-increasing threat to our oceans’ health. This project will develop a methodology that can be replicated across the world.”
Lydia Woolley, the Programme Manager for Project Tangaroa at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, added: “Bringing together different types of evidence and expertise on potentially polluting wrecks is a key part of Project Tangaroa, and we hope that our support of exciting and progressive initiatives such as this one will encourage others to take action to prevent harm to coastal communities and the environment”.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust
MAST is a leading UK maritime charity that specialises in the protection, research and conservation of historic wrecksites through both archaeology and the Maritime Observatory to deter looting of sites across the world’s oceans.
To find out more about MAST visit www.thisismast.org.
About Lloyd’s Register Foundation
Lloyd’s Register Foundation is an independent global safety charity that supports research, innovation, and education to make the world a safer place. Its mission is to use the best evidence and insight to help the global community focus on tackling the world’s most pressing safety and risk challenges.
To find out more about Lloyd’s Register Foundation, visit lrfoundation.org.uk.
About Project Tangaroa
Project Tangaroa is an expert coalition led by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Waves Group and The Ocean Foundation to establish a global framework for the systematic, proactive assessment and remediation of thousands of potentially polluting war wrecks at the bottom of the world’s oceans, and drive further action to prevent them causing harm to coastal environments and communities.
To find out more, visit project-tangaroa.org.