The World War II shipwrecks scattered across Australian waters serve as haunting reminders of the fierce naval clashes that unfolded in the Pacific Theater. Caught in the crossfire of a titanic struggle between the Allies and the Axis powers, these submerged relics tell of a time when Australia’s shores and surrounding seas became a pivotal battleground.
The strategic importance of Australia, located near vital shipping lanes and critical military targets in the Pacific, drew naval giants like the United States and Japan into epic confrontations. Each sunken ship, whether American, Japanese or Australian, marks the spot of a fierce fight for control.
Today, however, Australia faces a different kind of battle, as these shipwrecks, now described as “ticking time bombs,” threaten the marine environment. Carrying oil and various wartime chemicals, these vessels are deteriorating. With each passing year since the war, the wrecks continue to weather and break apart. This poses a significant risk, similar to an oil spill, where the leaking of these substances could severely impact marine life and the surrounding ecosystem.
Although numerous shipwrecks are scattered around Australia, six have been identified as posing “serious environmental risks.” Among these, the American-owned vessels Lexington, Neosho and Sims are located within the Coral Sea Marine Park. Additionally, two shipwrecks are situated off the coast of Victoria, near Apollo Bay and Wilsons Promontory. The other is the MV Limerick, found just 18 kilometers east of Ballina in New South Wales.
The Consequences Of An Oil Spill Of This Magnitude
The potential for oil spills from WWII shipwrecks in Australia echoes some of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history. For instance, the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 in Alaska’s Prince William Sound released approximately 11 million gallons of crude oil. This disaster devastated the local ecosystem, killing thousands of marine animals—including seabirds, otters and seals—and causing long-term damage to the fish populations that local economies relied on.
Another example is the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the largest marine oil spills ever recorded. Over several months, the spill released an estimated 134 million gallons of oil, extensively affecting marine and coastal species. This spill not only resulted in widespread death and illness among marine life but also severely impacted the fishing and tourism industries across the Gulf region, demonstrating the broad economic repercussions that can accompany environmental damage.
The Major Projects Foundation, a conservation-focused nonprofit organization, alongside other researchers, faces a significant hurdle: the exact quantities of oil and toxic chemicals aboard these WWII shipwrecks remain unknown. Yet, the potential for disaster is all too clear—enough to possibly repeat the severe environmental impacts seen in historical oil spills. The proximity of some of these wrecks to shore raises additional concerns.
Experts warn of a possible domino effect should these substances leak into the ocean. The contaminants could enter the food chain, affecting fish, then birds and other marine animals that rely on these fish for sustenance. This cascade could devastate local ecosystems and the broader environmental health of the area. The ambiguity surrounding the precise amount of remaining oil complicates efforts to assess and mitigate the risks, making urgent action all the more critical to prevent another historical catastrophe.
What Is The Plan Of Action?
Acknowledging these imminent dangers, the Major Projects Foundation has spearheaded a critical initiative to safeguard our marine environments before history’s remnants can cause a new kind of disaster. The Foundation has assembled a team of subsea oil engineers, marine archaeologists and historians to address the risks presented by WWII shipwrecks. Their approach starts with intensive research and fieldwork to identify the most hazardous wrecks, delving into historical records to determine the exact amounts of oil and chemicals they contain.
The plan involves deploying divers to these wrecks to safely extract the oil by drilling into the hulls, a method proven effective in other parts of the world.
An example where divers successfully extracted oil from a sunken vessel is the operation on the wreck of the SS Frank H. Buck and SS Jacob Luckenbach. Both ships sank near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and were sources of mysterious oil spills for decades.
In 2002, efforts were intensified to address these leaks. Divers were deployed to access and remove the bunker oil from the ships’ tanks, using hot tap technology, which involves attaching a valve to the ship’s structure and carefully pumping the oil out to prevent spills during extraction. This operation successfully mitigated further contamination of the surrounding marine environment.
This isn’t cheap by any means, with decontamination of a single wreck estimated to cost at least $3 million. But the cost is justified by the potential to avoid up to $30 million in cleanup costs per oil spill incident.
There is also a necessity for strong government action and public support. The wrecks, though protected under the Australian government’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018, require active management and sufficient funding to mitigate their environmental threats effectively.
By proactively addressing these risks, Australia can prevent the past’s conflicts from undermining its marine future, championing a cause that blends respect for historical legacy with the imperative to protect marine health.
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