UXO Assessment on the Romanian Black Sea Coast

Abstract

This paper aims to provide the reader with the results of the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) survey of the defensive historical naval minefields launched by the Romanian and German Navies on the Romanian Black Sea coast, during the Second World War. This UXO survey was carried out between 2015-2018 by the Romanian Navy’s hydrographic ship “Commander Alexandru Cătuneanu” and Romanian Mine Warfare Data Center, using towed side-scan sonar technology and oceanographic observations. After explaining the materials and methodology, the results are presented and discussed: mosaics of the minefields, side-scan images of UXO contacts, side-scan images of the wrecks that were sunk in the minefields and some visible natural geological features of the seafloor. It was concluded that most of the objects discovered are sinkers, wreck debris or parts of chains, which does not represent a danger to navigation.