Shipwrecks: Resources and Their Effects on Sea Life

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Worldwide, there have been more than 3 million shipwrecks since the first ship set sail that were either destroyed at sea or that ran aground due to storms, poor visibility, or poor navigation.

Since the beginning of maritime history, ships have suffered at the hands of the vagaries of the climate, tides, tectonic movements, navigational error, poor design, warfare, piracy and sabotage. The modern era has seen a marked decline in the number of shipwrecks, primarily due to improvements in communication, navigation, ship construction, training programs for captains and their crew, and meteorological technology advancements as well as the use of radar.

What is the most famous shipwreck?

The most famous of all shipwrecks is the R.M.S. Titanic, which collided with a massive iceberg on April 14, 1912, and sank in less than three hours while on its maiden voyage from England to the United States. While the iceberg was the immediate cause, significant research into causes of the sinking has found that the speed at which the ship was traveling, the design of its rudder, its triple screw engine configuration and the design of its hull were all factors in its sinking. A total of 1,517 people perished in the disaster, a number exacerbated by insufficient lifeboats to accommodate all passengers and crew.

What Causes Shipwrecks

Weather

One of the most common causes of shipwrecks is bad weather, including squalls and hurricanes, and fog, rain and snow that cause reduced visibility. Numerous supply ships have been sunk throughout the centuries, and the wrecks have provided rich pickings for treasure hunters. Examples of ships lost to hurricanes include 20 merchant ships loaded with tanned hides, spices, jewels, silver and gold, sinking off the coast of Florida in 1733. In modern times, one of the most famous shipwrecks is the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. A carrier of ore, the ship battled high winds and waves and sank without even issuing an distress call.

Warfare

Warfare has seen the loss of ships from torpedoes, mines, depth charges, bombs, missiles and sabotage. Famous wartime sinkings include the loss of the Union transport ship Maple Leaf, which was struck near Jacksonville, Fla., on April 1, 1864 by a Confederate torpedo during the American Civil War. Another famous shipwreck is that of the Lusitania, nicknamed “the greyhound of the seas,” which was sunk by a German torpedo off Southern Ireland on May 7, 1915.

Overloading Ships

Overloading ships with cargo has been another cause of sinking. In 1887, the iron-hulled twin screw steamship Tarpon left Mobile, Ala., loaded with a maximum load of freight, including more than 200 tons of general cargo, 200 barrels of oil and 15 tons of fresh water. As a result, the distance between the waterline and the top of the deck was less than five inches, leading the ship to take in water during a storm, eventually resulting in its running aground.

No Longer Profitable

Much like seeing an old car on the side of the road, abandoned ships have also been left to rot and eventually sink when they are no longer seaworthy or financially viable to operate. For example, the City of Hawkingsville, a wooden-hulled paddle wheel steamboat, was abandoned in 1922 in the middle of the Suwannee River.

No Longer Profitable

Additional causes of shipwrecks range from human error, such as the behavior of the crew or inaccurate charts.

Poor Design
To poor design, fire, disease, piracy, sabotage and mutiny.

Human error

Human error was the cause of a famous collision in July 1956 between the luxurious Italian ship Andrea Doria and the Swedish freighter Stockholm. Radar readings aboard both vessels were misinterpreted during a dense nighttime fog.

Resources about Shipwrecks

Scuba diving safety when diving around a shipwreck.
Exploring: NOAA Ocean Explorer is an educational Internet offering for all who wish to learn about, discover, and virtually explore the ocean realm.
Smithsonian and Singapore Organize World Tour of Shipwreck Treasure
PDF guide to the Titanic

How do shipwrecks harm sea life?

When a shipwreck occurs there may be several primary consequences. Examples of these are oil and chemical leaks, toxin build up in sea life and damage to the seabed. There are also secondary consequences of shipwrecks such as acoustic pollution and further damage to the sea bed if the shipwreck is removed or investigated.

Oil pollution is often a direct consequence of a shipwreck. While oil will change form over time, it remains and settles on the seabed. Even when ships are built with strongly insulated oil tanks, over time salt water corrosion, strong water currents, sea bottom sediment shifts and marine life will cause leaking. When oil tankers are shipwrecked, thousands of gallons of oil leak into the sea.

Other harmful products are often released into waters from shipwrecks. These may include nuclear products or by-products such as uranium, metals and asbestos. When these products enter living cells or organisms, toxins are produced. Toxins and harmful products will accumulate in living cells as they move up the food chain. If the toxins or harmful products reach a critical level, they can cause deformity, sterility or death. In 1988, a virus killed 18,000 seals in the North Sea. Researchers found that because of high levels of chemicals called PCB’s in the water, the dead seals had accumulated toxins that made them more vulnerable to a fatal virus.

Plastic products found in seas after shipwrecks cause much damage. Plastic containers, fibers and bands are not biodegradable. They remain for decades in the water. Fish can become entangled in the plastic or might consume the plastic. If eaten, plastic products will cause problems with swallowing and digestion. Research has shown that plastic products cause the deaths of around 100,000 whales, seals and dolphins each year.

Plant life under the sea can be affected when oil, lubricants or other non-soluble products settle on the sea base. If these products settle on plant leaves, the process of photosynthesis will be disrupted or will stop permanently, resulting in plant death. Damage can also be caused if fertilizers leak into waters and cause a process called eutrophication. When the ECE sank off the shore of Guernsey in 2006, it was carrying more than 10,000 tons of fertilizer.

Sunken war ships and aircraft can be extremely dangerous. They often contain explosives, nuclear products and chemical warfare agents (CWA’s) on board.

Explosions can occur during and after vessels sink. Explosions may damage seabeds and also cause acoustic pollution. Acoustic pollution occurs when noise is introduced into the marine environment. This can happen during a shipwreck as a consequence of explosions or when the wreck is being investigated.

Resource by F.Rosseti

I am a teacher in Michigan. I grew up in Florida and have lived here in MI for close to 15 years. I enjoy writing and skiing in my spare time.

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