The Baltic Sea is contaminated with remnants of munitions from past wars, but many questions remain about the exact locations of these munitions and their condition after decades under water.Three major projects
The Baltic Sea is contaminated with remnants of munitions from past wars, but many questions remain about the exact locations of these munitions and their condition after decades under water.
Three major projects at national, Baltic Sea and European levels are currently working to consolidate existing knowledge and develop technologies to safely identify submerged munitions. GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel is contributing to these efforts with three Baltic Sea expeditions.
The first mission has now begun: the research vessel Alkor is being used to develop mapping and analysis techniques in German and Danish waters, with a particular focus on the sea areas at the exit of the Flensburg Fjord / Lille Belt, west of Bornholm and the Bay of Lübeck.
Expedition AL628 will collect data for three major munitions projects: CONMAR, which investigates munitions management in German waters; MUNI-RISK, which focuses on the entire Baltic Sea; and MMinE-SwEEPER, a nine-country European research effort. In addition to scientific and technological objectives — such as assessing munitions contamination and improving autonomous mapping and analysis methods — the expedition also promotes international cooperation.
The two autonomous underwater vehicles and the small blue remotely operated vehicle from GEOMAR are being employed for the
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