Show Notes
At the end of the Second World War, millions of tonnes of unwanted explosives and weapons were disposed of at sea. For decades, these dumped munitions lay hidden beneath the waves as time and tide passed over them.
Now 80 years past that mass-dumping, corrosion has begun to expose the explosive chemicals inside these weapons casings. Lead, mercury and TNT breakdown products have begun to be detected in fish stocks throughout the affected waters. At the same time, the growth of offshore infrastructure such as wind farms is increasing the need to understand and manage hazards on the seabed.
But dumped munitions are not the same problem as unexploded ordnance (UXO). Instead of finding isolated dangerous objects, engineers face vast areas containing thousands of items, requiring new approaches to detection, removal, containment and disposal. This is a question of new technologies, new approaches, and still yet, convincing people of the scale of the problem.
Guests
Torsten Frey, post-doctoral researcher, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Peter Nieuwveld, Solution Owner UXO Risk Mitigation, Fugro
Jennifer Yun, New Business Manager, Fugro
Resources
Sign up for the CAMMera & MMinE-SwEEPER Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3PDUcPj
Visit JPI Oceans Knowledge Portal for Munitions in the Sea: http://munitionsinthesea.eu/
Check out Munitions in the Sea Projects booklet: Munitions_booklet_October_2025.pdf
Check out UNOC 2025 Munitions in the Sea Factsheets: https://tinyurl.com/2x35pwwu
For the Engineering Matters episode on UXO mitigation, click here
Photo credit: Lukas Schröder
Partner
Fugro is the world’s leading geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.
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