Ghost Wrecks of the Anthropocene: An Enduring Toxic Legacy of the Pacific War

Carter, Matthew; Meredith, Ashley; Kohler, Augustine C.; Walter, Ranger; Jeffrey, Bill; Heersink, Paul (2023-06-21). "Ghost Wrecks of the Anthropocene: An Enduring Toxic Legacy of the Pacific War". Ghost Wrecks of the Anthropocene: An Enduring Toxic Legacy of the Pacific War. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. pp. 89–92. doi:10.4324/9781003365259-10. ISBN 978-1-003-36525-9.

Abstract: During the Second World War, over 3,800 ships containing as much as 1.5 billion gallons of petrochemicals, and hundreds of thousands of tons of explosive ordnance were sunk throughout the Asia Pacific Region. Over at least 77 years these potentially polluting wrecks (PPW) have deteriorated with the threat of oil spills increasing as their corrosion leads inexorably towards structural collapse and subsequent environmental damage. Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia has the largest concentration of 'high-environmental risk' PPW in the Pacific Region. Despite the threat these wrecks pose to the marine ecosystems, cultures and livelihoods of Chuuk, local families engage with them as a form of cultural sustainability and highly value them as tourism and heritage assets, and as the war graves of Japanese sailors. Significantly, these wrecks are also associated with the toxic legacies of colonialism and neo-colonialism, particularly during the Japanese and USA periods, which included the suppression of Chuukese culture, acquisition and degradation of the islands. These conflicting values present challenging dimensions to the management of these sites for international, national and state authorities. They provide an ongoing case study of how the toxic legacies of the Second World War continue to impact the Blue Pacific.

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OpenAlex: W4381489818