Joint Pilot REMARCO - MUNIMAP

Joint REMARCO & MuniMAP Pilot Study: Environmental Monitoring at the MS Brummer Wreck

As part of a new joint pilot by REMARCO and MuniMAP, an autonomous lander was deployed at the wreck of the MS Brummer, located off the Norwegian coast near the Oslofjord. The MS Brummer was a navy school ship and transporter for the German occupation troops in Norway. It was torpedoed by a British submarine during the operation Weserübung and sank 15. April 1940, Today, the wreck lies at a depth of 80–120 meters.

This collaboration combines REMARCO’s expertise in munitions monitoring with MuniMAP, a project focused on mapping and assessing environmental risks from submerged munitions.

The lander was equipped with oceanographic instrumentation, a benthic chamber, remote operated water collectors, passive sampling devices and cages containing mussels (Mytilus) and giant clams (Acesta excavata) to investigate the uptake and potential bioaccumulation of pollutants deriving from fuel and munition remains from the wreck.

After 8 days at the wreck, the lander was recovered and all water, sediment and biota samples secured for laboratory analyses. In the coming weeks, the joint REMARCO-MuniMAP team will conduct chemical and ecotoxicological assessments to understand pollutant transfer and potential ecological effects.

Stay tuned as we reveal how historic shipwrecks influence marine ecosystems.