CONMAR consists of eight work packages (WPs). WP1 through WP7 cover the scientific project work. WP8 deals with the administrative requirements of the project.

WP1: Stakeholder dialogue, governance and public communication

One of the central objectives of the project is to provide practical recommendations to policy makers and the private sector on how to address the munition problem and to inform the general public accordingly. Thererfore, the consortium performs a stakeholder dialogue, map the governance structure and develop a communication strategy.

• Task 1.1: Dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders
• Task 1.2: Governance
• Task 1.3: Societal awareness and communication strategy

WP2: Federated database concept and access to marine munition relevant data in German waters

Well informed decision making depends on access to qualified data and their interpretation. The current problem with respect to marine munition is the lack of an approach to combine different data sets and provide at least one centralised web-portal for data access. This WP addresses this issue.

• Task 2.1: Initiating and establishing a federated and sustainable marine munition database concept
• Task 2.2: Organize and support data management tasks with stakeholders
• Task 2.3: Data Management of the project data

WP3: Environmental distribution of munitions-derived pollutants and controls on their source

In WP3 basic parameters concerning amount and type of munition, the origin of munitions-related pollutants, and processes that regulate their release, distribution and natural attenuation will be determined.

• Task 3.1: Mapping of dump and reference areas to determine occurrence, state and migration of munition and for geological characterisation
• Task 3.2: Physical degradation and spreading of munition shells and explosives
• Task 3.3: Chemical analyses of dissolved muniton compounds (MCs) in the water column, sediment and pore water
• Task 3.4: Controls on dissolution and degradation of explosives
• Task 3.5: Quality evaluation of MC analysis in relevant marine matrices

WP4: Ecological and biological assessments in dump and reference areas

Ecological studies will include detailed investigations of the habitat differences between munition contaminated and non-contaminated areas. Sampling of different faunal species and subsequent analyses of various MCs in different body parts will inform about the incorporation of MC into organisms. Based on these analyses the transfer of MCs between trophic levels will be investigated. Specific lab and field studies will inform about uptake, health effects and toxicity levels in different fauna.

• Task 4.1: Site selection and benthic ground truth
• Task 4.2: Habitat mapping and modelling
• Task 4.3: Health assessment and screening of MC compounds in different species of dump and reference sides
• Task 4.4: Transplantation (caging) experiments
• Task 4.5: Lab exposure experiments; effects on metabolism, health and degradation of MCs
• Task 4.6: MC transport between species and trophic levels
• Task 4.7: Quality evaluation of MC analysis in relevant marine biota
• Task 4.8: Establishment of ultra-sensitive molecular biomarker for early warning
• Task 4.9: Impacts of climate change i.e. rising water temperatures on fauna

WP5: Distribution processes and patterns of munition related contaminants

When MCs are dissolved in the water column or when particles separate from the main body of explosive material, many natural processes determine their distribution. WP5 was designed to better understand these patterns and to predict how MC contamination can spread throughout the North and Baltic Seas.

• Task 5.1: Adaptation of GETM model to include additional contaminants
• Task 5.2: Factors and processes that modulate the spreading of dissolved and particulate MCs
• Task 5.3: Prognostic understanding of chemical contamination on local and regional scale
• Task 5.4: Climate impact on contamination and long-term evaluation

WP6: Toxicological risk assessment of munition in the seas

Toxicological risk assessments are relevant for the marine ecosystem and human seafood consumer. The hazard potential of a given chemical has to be determined by experimental investigations to define the toxicological endpoint in specific target tissues in animal and human studies alike. The exposure has to be estimated, i.e. the nature and extent to which animals or people are exposed to the chemicals, and joint considerations of hazard potential and exposure result in an estimation of the actual risk.

• Task 6.1: Eco-toxicological risk assessment of MCs in marine organisms
• Task 6.2: Human toxicological risk assessment of MCs of seafood

WP7: Priority lists of hot spots and cost-efficient management strategies

Building on the state of the art in science and technology and the output of WP1 through 6, WP7 will develop tailored management strategies for selected munition dump sites and contaminated areas.

• Task 7.1: Economic assessment of dump site management strategies
• Task 7.2: Identify hot spots among German dump sites and prepare a priority list for management
• Task 7.3: Develop management strategies for selected munition dump sites
• Task 7.4: Implement exemplary management strategy for one specific munition dump site
• Task 7.5: Outlook on management actions for next project phase

WP8: Project coordination

This WP concerns all work that is not directly related to the scientific content. We will establish a coordination office.

• Task 8.1: Project administration and communication with funding organisation and DAM
• Task 8.2: Project coordination with partners
• Task 8.3: Support and enable public outreach
• Task 8.4: Organize and execute moderated workshops, info-sessions and training