A major tourism attraction in Micronesia is now threatened with oil pollution. Reports from the location say climate change is a contributing factor.
Chuuk Lagoon in Micronesia is home to one of the highest concentrations of World War II shipwrecks in the world. More than 4,000 Japanese soldiers died when the lagoon was bombarded by U.S. forces in early 1944.
More than 60 Japanese vessels were sunk, and hundreds of planes were shot out of the sky. The attack was described as "revenge for Pearl Harbor."
The old ships and planes now lie at the bottom of the lagoon and have become an attraction for scuba-diving visitors to the Pacific nation.
But the tourism attraction is now being threatened.
Toxic oil is leaking from the rusted vessels.
Australia's ABC News reports experts say warmer water temperatures and wave action from extreme weather corrode the ships' outer shells.
In February, the Australian government funded a study of the wrecks at Micronesia's request. The study determined that 15 of the wrecks would need to be cleaned within five to 10 years to prevent a potential large-scale spill.
Cleaning up a single wreck in Chuuk could cost about $10 million.
In the meantime, Chuuk officials have applied to have the wrecks placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List to help speed up work on a solution.
