Safeguarding the world's oceans, ecosystems, and communities by addressing the hidden threats posed by decades of dumping millions of tons of chemical, conventional, and radiological weapons in the marine environment.
“The weapons of past wars should not threaten future generations. It is time to safely eradicate munitions and their harmful constituents from our seas.”
— Terrance P. Long, CD
IDUM's mission is to promote the creation of an Internationally Binding Treaty on all classes of underwater munitions—biological, chemical, conventional, and radiological—to lead to the cleanup of our seas and oceans worldwide.
Ocean dumping was a cheap means of disposal for countries' excess, obsolete, damaged and time-expired munitions. Learn about IDUM's Voluntary Commitment to the UN Environment Programme (SDG 14).
As early as 1910, the dumping of chemical and conventional munitions was recorded in the English Channel. This process continued throughout all seas as a cheap means of disposal for militaries until the mid-1970s when countries began to understand the environmental catastrophe they were creating.
1.6 million tons of underwater munitions—chemical, biological, and conventional—are rusting in 54 seas and oceans. Earth's five major ocean gyres circulate water and contaminants across all hemispheres. These slow-moving conveyor belts do not respect borders.
Evidence shows cancer rates up to 5x higher in coastal populations near known munitions sites. Shellfish toxicity linked to mustard gas and lewisite degradation has been documented. TNT with a 5,000-year half-life bioaccumulates in fish and coral.
Global Authority on Underwater & Submerged Munitions
Terrance (Terry) P. Long is the Chair and founder of the International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM) and a world-leading expert on sea-dumped chemical and conventional weapons. A retired Canadian Military Engineer with over 30 years of experience specializing in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Terrance has led international efforts to address the environmental and human health impacts of underwater and submerged munitions globally.
Terrance P. Long is a recognized global authority and leading voice in the response to underwater munitions. As the driving force behind UN Ocean Action #21356, he pioneered an international dialogue to address the environmental and safety risks of sea-dumped weapons. Through decades of dedicated advocacy, Terry has collaborated with international bodies, research institutes, and Baltic Sea regional initiatives to shape global models for marine protection and munitions clearance. His leadership within the International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM) continues to unite governments, scientists, and industry stakeholders, leveraging critical mapping data and risk assessments to drive safer, more sustainable ocean cleanup operations worldwide.
Global Advocacy, High-Level Briefings & Project Leadership
UN Ocean Action #21356 represents the formal international commitment to address underwater munitions on a global scale. Led by Terrance P. Long CD., this initiative provides the framework for cooperation across national boundaries, bringing public and private sectors together to implement sustainable solutions.
A €4.5M project, part-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007–2013), that mapped the Gotland and Gdańsk Deep chemical weapons dumpsites, assessed their toxicity to aquatic life, modelled leakage, and produced guidelines for managing contaminated sediments.
A North Atlantic Treaty Organization Science for Peace and Security (NATO SPS) project that established a monitoring network for chemical weapons dumpsites in the Baltic Sea, using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), with habitat status evaluation, fish health studies and modelling across three representative areas.
An EU Interreg Baltic Sea Region project (European Regional Development Fund, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region) that built decision-support software to help maritime, defence and environmental administrations manage dumped chemical and conventional munitions: evaluating the risks of individual munitions, categorising threats and assessing remediation methods. Study areas included the Gulf of Finland, the Bornholm and Gdańsk Deeps, the Little Belt and the Skagerrak.
Chaired by Terry, the International Scientific and Technology Advisory Board (ISTAB) on Underwater Munitions consists of diplomats, scientists, academics, and munitions experts representing more than 10 nationalities. It provides independent advice on scientific, technical, and organizational aspects in response to sea-dumped munitions, and promotes dialogue and multilateral contacts among interested governments, international organizations, academic institutions, and the global community.
The ISTAB was originally appointed to IDUM at the request of the Foreign Minister of Lithuania during the 2010 Conference of States Parties of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Members work in their personal capacity and meet twice annually in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Dartmouth Waterfront Campus: Summer School on Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons, hosted by the International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM) in 2016. Terrance, as Partner and Co-Director of the MODUM Program, provided the training aids.
Student taking samples at the Bedford Basin.
Summer School students complete 40 hours of intensive training spanning toxicology, risk analysis, underwater vehicle survey techniques, and chemical release monitoring at munitions sites.
Also cooperating with Ikanawtiket, the Gesellschaft zum Schutz der Meeressäugetiere (GSM) and Poland's Inspection for Environmental Protection (Inspekcja Ochrony Środowiska).
Internationally accredited to support SDG 14, Terrance leads efforts to eradicate chemical and conventional weapons dumped in oceans after major conflicts — degrading munitions that release carcinogenic toxins like TNT, RDX, and mustard gas into marine ecosystems.
Terrance chaired the CDC's Expert Panel in Atlanta, uniting public health, military, and environmental scientists to produce actionable recommendations on the human health impacts of underwater munitions.
Terrance led a cutting-edge AUV survey of sea-dumped munitions across the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Small Island States, mapping disposal sites at depths up to 5,000 m that had never before been documented.
Terrance addressed the European Parliament on unexploded munitions and chemical residues at sea, directly contributing to the Parliament's landmark resolution of 27 April 2021 calling for elimination of sea-dumped ordnance.
Continuously accredited to OPCW Conferences of State Parties since 2011, Terrance chairs high-level side events and drove the unanimous UN adoption of the resolution Cooperation Measures on Sea-Dumped Chemical Munitions.
In 2015 Terrance was formally declared the "Global Leader on the Elimination of Chemical Weapons" at a dinner in his honour at the International Club of The Hague, recognising his decade-long diplomatic campaign.
Terrance is an observer to the ISA Marine Environmental Working Group, raising the overlooked threat of chemical weapons encountered during deep-sea mining operations.
Appointed to the Scientific Committee of the Polish Naval Academy's Maritime Security Yearbook, Terrance peer-reviews international research on chemical weapons and co-organises naval dialogues on eliminating underwater ordnance.
One of only 99 ever minted and never circulated, the Government of Canada's Ocean Legacy Coin was presented to Terrance on World Oceans Day 2020, recognising him as a true ocean champion.
Presented by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army for conceiving and hosting the Hawaii International Dialogues — praised as one of the first events to unite science, defence, and policy around sea-dumped munitions.
Nominated for the 2023 Prince's Trust Canada Veteran Entrepreneur Award — His Majesty King Charles III's national honour recognising Canadian Armed Forces veterans making exceptional impact beyond the uniform.
Terrance received the MTS Special Editor's Award for guest-editing the landmark two-part journal series on legacy underwater munitions, now used as a blueprint for cooperation across the UN, OPCW, NATO, and national governments.
Decades of field experience and international leadership — available to governments, industry, media, and researchers addressing the underwater munitions crisis.
For expert consultation, speaking engagements, media collaboration, or data inquiries — reach out directly.
Join us in our mission to address the global underwater munitions crisis and protect our oceans for future generations.
Join governments, foundations, and scientists worldwide in supporting the creation of an internationally binding treaty to address underwater munitions.
