Notable case, Fedje, Vestland, Norway
U-864 wreck (Fedje)
A German submarine sunk in 1945 two miles off the Norwegian island of Fedje with about 61 tonnes of metallic mercury in its keel. It lies 150 metres down and the flasks are corroding.
Contaminants
Metals
Status
Contained
In 2016 about 100,000 m³ of sand and rock was laid to stabilise the seabed. In October 2018 the government decided to cap the wreck rather than raise it; in 2024 a plan was announced to retrieve the accessible mercury in 2026, before final capping.
Story
U-864 carried the mercury in 1,857 steel flasks of 32 kg each. The wreck, broken into two sections, was located in March 2003 by a Royal Norwegian Navy minesweeper. A flask recovered in 2005 was badly corroded.
An estimated 4 kg of mercury a year leaks into the surrounding environment. High levels have been found in cod, cusk and edible crab.
Between 2007 and 2009 it was proposed to raise the wreck, at an estimated cost of one billion Norwegian kroner; the choice later fell on capping it in place.
Timeline
- 1945The submarine is sunk.
- 2003March: the wreck is located.
- 2016A counter fill of sand and rock is laid to stabilise the seabed.
- 2018Decision to cap the wreck.
Remediation
- 2016counter fillAbout 100,000 m³ of sand and rock to stabilise the seabed slope.
From the literature
Species that acted on one of this site's contaminants in at least one study. The list is automatic and takes no account of this site's soil, concentrations or climate.
Plants
- Eichhornia crassipesWater hyacinthEvidence: field
- Azolla carolinianaCarolina mosquito fernEvidence: laboratory
Fungi
- Aspergillus nigerBlack mouldEvidence: laboratory
- Rhodotorula taiwanensisEvidence: laboratory
- Boletus edulisKing bolete, porciniEvidence: survey of wild specimens
Sources
- German submarine U-864, Wikipedia, 2026
Draft compiled from public sources, not yet reviewed.