Historical shipwrecks in international waters contributes to coastal pollution

Abstract

In 2021, rubber bales appeared along the Brazilian coastline, causing environmental impacts. In this research paper, we identified a Second World War shipwreck that was associated with this event. Numerical simulations provided robust evidence to support the hypothesis that the origin of the 2021 bales was the MV Weserland. Moreover, it was sunk to a depth of approximately 5,000 m with a cargo containing rubber, tin, and wolframite. Tin is currently considered a strategic metal, with prices rising from USD 13,375/t in March 2020 to USD 34,462/t in May 2021. We provided evidence that the departure of rubber bales from the wreck and the increase in the price of its metal cargo were temporally associated; this reinforced the hypothesis of deep-sea unauthorized salvage in international waters (areas beyond national jurisdiction). The novel results demonstrate that historical shipwrecks are ticking time-bombs with risks of high and unmapped pollution in oceans worldwide.