The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) identified 87 shipwrecks from World Wars I and II within U.S. waters that pose an environmental risk due to their hazardous cargo in 2013. These potentially polluting wrecks (PPWs) are often identified as high-risk ships. The German U-701 submarine attacked the SS William Rockefeller in 1942, leading to a 12-hour burning wreckage drifting listlessly until it finally sank off North Carolina. The study suggests that the SS Derbent, a World War I oil tanker that sank in 1917, may have been leaking oil from its hull for nearly a century, which could lead to a major environmental disaster. Global coalitions are forming to address these shipwrecks globally. However, more AUV surveys and ROV investigations are needed to fully assess the threat.