Project Tangaroa/Lloyds polluting shipwrecks

 Project Tangaroa, led by Lloyd’s Register Foundation in partnership with The Ocean Foundation and Waves Group, is a global initiative tackling the environmental threat posed by Potentially Polluting Wrecks (PPWs)—sunken ships that still contain oil, munitions, or hazardous chemicals, many dating back to the World Wars.

🌊 The Scale of the Problem

  • Over 8,000 shipwrecks worldwide are considered PPWs.

  • These wrecks may contain up to 20 million tonnes of oil—that’s 500× more than the Exxon Valdez spill.

  • Many are deteriorating due to climate change, port development, and ocean industrialisation, increasing the risk of catastrophic leaks.

🛠 What Tangaroa Does

  • Maps and assesses wrecks globally to prioritize risk.

  • Develops technical standards and a technology roadmap for safe salvage.

  • Builds a coalition of experts to influence international policy and funding.

  • Balances environmental protection with cultural heritage, as some wrecks are war graves or artificial reefs.

🌐 Strategic Relevance

  • Supports the UN Decade of Ocean Science and High Seas Treaty.

  • Partners with ICOMOS and IUCN to ensure cultural and ecological values are respected.

  • Advocates for proactive intervention—as Mark Spalding of The Ocean Foundation notes, “It is far less expensive to prevent pollution than to rebuild coastal industries and ecosystems”.

Project Tangaroa officially launched in 2023, spearheaded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, The Ocean Foundation, and Waves Group. Its goal is to develop a global framework for assessing and mitigating the threat of Potentially Polluting Wrecks (PPWs)—sunken ships that still contain oil, munitions, or hazardous chemicals, mostly from the World Wars.

🔥 10 Notorious PPWs (Based on Risk, Notoriety, or Ongoing Action)

While there’s no official “top 10” list, these wrecks are frequently cited in expert assessments and international reports:

  1. USS Mississinewa (Micronesia) – WWII oil tanker; successfully hot-tapped and drained in 2003.

  2. HMS Royal Oak (Scapa Flow, UK) – Leaked oil for decades; oil removed in 2001–2003.

  3. RMS Republic (off Nantucket, USA) – Contains oil and rumored treasure; high salvage interest.

  4. SS Jacob Luckenbach (California, USA) – Leaked oil for years before being identified and drained in 2002.

  5. SS Montebello (California, USA) – WWII tanker; oil still onboard, but considered stable.

  6. SS Richard Montgomery (Thames Estuary, UK) – Holds 1,400 tonnes of explosives; not leaking oil, but a major hazard.

  7. HMS Cassandra (Estonia) – Surveyed in 2024–25 by UK MOD and Waves Group under Project Tangaroa.

  8. Chuuk Lagoon wrecks (Micronesia) – Dozens of Japanese WWII ships; many leaking oil and munitions.

  9. SS Sansinena (Los Angeles, USA) – Exploded in 1976; wreckage still poses localized risk.

  10. SS John Barry (Arabian Sea) – WWII Liberty ship; oil and silver cargo, under periodic review.

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