REMARCO
Remediation, Management, Monitoring and Cooperation addressing North Sea UXO
Timeframe: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2027
Funding: €3.56 million
The project is led by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research and includes a range of project partners from research and industry, as well as a project advisory board with members from politics and society.
North.io will provide the project with software for data linking, data visualization and risk assessment and thus provide an essential tool for decision-making in UXO management. The software will be adapted to the subject matter and the workflows of those involved in the project. It will facilitate access to the available data and research results and simplify their visualization and targeted publication.
The REMARCO project addresses unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the North and Baltic Seas, which pose risks to marine life and enter the food chain. It aims to record, monitor, and assess UXO risks, and conduct clean-up operations. The project tests solutions for handling and clearing UXOs and evaluates their impact on the food chain. Led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, it involves research and industry partners. north.io provides software for data linking, visualisation, and risk assessment, aiding decision-making in UXO management and facilitating access to data and research results.
Unexploded ordnances (UXOs) can still be found in various stages of decomposition in the North and Baltic Seas. UXO, including shell casings and explosive compounds, are found in wrecks, sediments and seawater. The explosive compounds are consumed by marine life and thus enter the food chain. In some cases, even low concentrations of these compounds can cause adverse health effects in marine organisms such as fish or mussels.
It is therefore essential to record and monitor UXO, comprehensively assess the risk they pose and, if necessary, initiate and carry out a clean-up (remediation). The problem is of transnational dimension and does not stop at borders or territorial waters. For example, ammunition remnants may be found in a German wreck from the Second World War that was sunk by the British Navy in Belgian waters.
This is where the REMARCO project, short for "Remediation, Management, Monitoring and Cooperation addressing North Sea UXO", comes into play and continues the successful work and partnership of the "North Sea Wrecks" (NSW) project.
The REMARCO project is co-funded by the European Union (European Union's Horizon Europe Programme).
