A National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition has arrived in the Marshall Islands to dive four of the Pacific nation’s 29 atolls – including Bikini, where the USA tested 23 nuclear bombs between 1946 and 1958, leaving the area devastated.
The scientists are surveying marine life in Bikini and neighbouring Rongerik Atoll, as well as the uninhabited and potentially pristine islands Bikar and Bokak in the remote northern Ratak group.
“For the Marshallese, the ocean is life,” said Glen Joseph, director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) which, along with The Nature Conservancy, is collaborating with the expedition team. “Local communities rely on fish, coconuts and other plants for food and incomes. It’s critical that we closely monitor and plan for the sustainable use of our waters.
“More information about these remote atolls at the far end of our country is essential to realising our country’s vision for the future.”
Blueprint for the future
“The remote atolls of Bikar and Bokak may be examples of how coral reefs were hundreds of years ago, but also a blueprint for the future,” commented Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer in residence and founder of Pristine Seas. “They will provide a baseline for reef-conservation efforts elsewhere. We’re excited to support the Marshall Islands’ efforts to protect these global jewels.”
In contrast, the study of Bikini atoll is expected to give the team the opportunity to examine the ability of coral reefs to bounce back decades after an extreme human impact regarded as now second only to global warming. The expedition will also be the first to comprehensively survey Rongerik, which will provide a reference site for comparison with Bikini.
The USA forcibly evacuated Bikini’s 167 residents to conduct its nuclear weapons tests over a 12-year period, during which it vaporised three islands and left behind lethal levels of radioactive contamination.
If not for its remoteness and the unique circumstances of the deliberate sinkings there, Bikini would be one of the world’s foremost wreck-diving destinations. Though the atoll has been visited by divers over the years, with a dive-centre set up there for a while, it is still regarded as uninhabitable.
“Bikini will give us a measure of the long-term resilience of this important ecosystem for Pacific islanders,” said Pristine Seas chief scientist Alan Friedlander.
Exploration methods
With local researchers collaborating with the scientists and film-makers, the team will spend a month assessing the health of the four atolls through visual scuba surveys of coral reefs and benthic environments; deployment of baited remote underwater video systems between 5 and 80m; drop-camera deployments to depths of 6km; seabird surveys; and microplastics and eDNA sampling.
The DeepSee submersible can be used to dive as deep as 400m.
The government will use results from the expedition to supplement data already gathered to support management and conservation initiatives in the region. Since 2008, National Geographic Pristine Seas says it has conducted 40 expeditions globally and helped to create 26 marine reserves covering more than 6.5 million sq km of ocean.
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