An unprecedented expedition to map parts of Southern California’s deep sea has uncovered mysterious barrels littering the sea floor. Oceanographers discovered World War II-era military weaponry in massive dumping sites off the coast of Los Angeles.
The research effort spearheaded by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography aimed to map and understand the history of ocean dumping in the region. However, scientists have found many discarded munition boxes, smoke floats, and depth charges lurking 3,000 feet underwater.
Most appear to be from the WWll era, and it remains unclear what risk they might pose to the environment. The scientists discovered thousands of “barrel-like” objects likely containing toxic chemicals by sonar in stretches of the seafloor in 2021.
The latest survey using sonar and robotic vehicles found many discarded explosives along debris lines between Los Angeles and Catalina, thousands of feet below the surface where the scientists previously identified them.
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“We started to find the same objects by the dozens, if not hundreds, consistently… It took a few days to really understand what we were seeing on the seabed,” said Eric Terrill, who co-led the deep-ocean survey with Sophia Merrifield. “Who knew that right in our backyard? The more you look, the more you find.”
Among the items discovered were depth charges typically used to attack submarines. They include Hedgehog and Mark 9 depth charges. Also, Mark 1 smoke floats that warships often used to conceal their movements.
Following the 2021 discoveries, Merrifield and Terrill’s research team set sail again last year with even more advanced sonar technology. Also, the team used a high-definition deep-sea camera that sought to identify as many objects as possible visually. However, the U.S. Navy assisted the team through a rare partnership.
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According to reports, discarding military waste at sea was not uncommon in decades past. However, this once-forgotten history of ocean dumping continues to haunt our environment today. Also, the U.S. Navy has confirmed that what the Scripps team discovered is “likely a result of WWII-era disposal practices.”
Also, they noted in a statement that the government approved the disposal of munitions at sea at this location. The U.S. Navy stated it was to ensure “safe disposal when naval vessels returned to U.S. port.” In addition, they said officials are reviewing the latest Scripps findings and determining the best path forward.
They want to ensure that they appropriately manage the risk to human health and the environment. These findings, scientists explained, are an essential milestone in the exhaustive efforts to better understand the impacts of industrial dumping.
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According to scientists, “Especially into the waters off the Southern California coast between the 1930s and 1970s.” “This is a really interesting piece of work,” Brice Simmons, a marine biologist with Scripps, said during a press briefing. Simons said the findings validate that “there aren’t a huge, vast quantity of barrels down there.”
He added, “It turns out that much of the dumping was simply bulk material dumped off to the side. However, Scripps says there remains a plethora of information that its research team has yet to piece together. According to the researchers, the findings can help inform additional studies of DDT and seafloor exploration.
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