Toxic legacy: World War Two Shipwrecks in the Asia-Pacific Region

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Integrating Cultural Heritage Into The Work Of The Ocean Foundation" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Second World War in the Asia-Pacific Region has left an archaeological signature of over 3800 shipwrecks on the ocean floor. Despite having been underwater for at least 75 years, these wrecks still potentially contain millions of gallons of toxic oil carried as cargo and/or bunker fuel. Corrosion rate estimates demonstrate that these potentially polluting wrecks (PPW) are approaching structural collapse hastened by severe weather events, associated with climate change. However, little is known about the current condition of these PPW or how their deterioration will impact fragile marine ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. Using the PPW of Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia as a case study, this paper presents a strategy aimed at prioritising, managing, and mitigating the impacts of oil spills posed by PPW as a means of safeguarding marine ecosystems and the cultures and livelihoods of coastal communities in the Pacific.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Integrating Cultural Heritage Into The Work Of The Ocean Foundation   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology