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Issue 124 - September 2025

A Defining Moment in History: 40 Years Ago The Marshall Islands Fought to Protect Their Future… and Defied the US

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior with Nuclear Free Pacific banner, Marshallese people boarding during Operation Exodus evacuation from Rongelap atoll 1985
Evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in the Pacific 1985. © Greenpeace / Fernando Pereira

In May 1985, Greenpeace took on a mission unlike anything they had done before – to mass relocate the people of Rongelap atoll in the Marshall Islands, whose ancestral home was no longer safe as a result of the US government’s nuclear testing in the region. About 350 people were relocated, including livestock and 100 metric tons of building material, to Mejatto, another island about 180 km away.

This is the story behind “Operation Exodus” – one Rainbow Warrior boat and an island community, versus a huge colonial power who discredited the act as “manipulation” for Greenpeace’s anti-nuclear agenda.

As we mark 40 years since this defining moment in Greenpeace and Marshall Islands history, Bunny McDiarmid, one of the original crew members, looks back on her experience.

1985 – “We love the future of our kids”

Joining the Rainbow Warrior as a deckhand was my first “real” experience with Greenpeace. One of our initial tasks in a “back-of-beyond” boatyard in Jacksonville, Florida was to change her from a motor boat to a sailing boat – she turned beautifully as if she was always meant to be a sailing vessel.

In the eighties, nuclear was Greenpeace’s primary focus, which coincided with the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement, a strong campaign to have the whole Pacific region declared a nuclear free zone. Between 1946 and 1958, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated on the Marshall Islands, and the people on Rongelap suffered severe health impacts, such as miscarriages, as a result of radioactive fallout.

When we arrived in Hawaii, en-route to the Marshalls, Rongelap Senator Jeton Anjain came on board and asked Greenpeace US/International campaigner Steve Sawyer if Greenpeace would help move his people away from Rongelap atoll. Jeton was quietly spoken, but I learnt over the years that this was a person with considerable stamina and fortitude – I am yet to meet a more resilient and determined man. His gentle demeanour makes him easy to underestimate, which the US had clearly done.

Arriving in Rongelap on May 17 1985, I remember it like it was yesterday. Sunny, hot, clear blue skies, the Rongelap lagoon endless into the distance, and a small “bum-bum” (plywood motor boat) coming out to meet us. A group of women were on board all waving at us, and one held a sign on a square piece of white sheet that read, “We love the future of our kids”. She was dabbing her eyes – and this set the scene and tone

Marshallese women in colorful traditional dresses standing under welcome banner reading 'Welcome to Rongelap We Love the Future of Our Kids' during 1985 Greenpeace evacuation
Rongelap islanders welcoming the Rainbow Warrior I. The sign reads: “Welcome to Rongelap. We love the future of our kids”. © Greenpeace / Fernando Pereira

We anchored, changed out of shorts and tank tops and into clean dresses and shirts. We came ashore to the older women all singing to us under an archway which also read, ‘Welcome, we love the future of our kids”. They greeted us with leis and handed us fresh coconuts to drink. It was not solemn but also not joyous – it was just us and them meeting each other as strangers.

Greenpeace campaigner Steve Sawyer being welcomed by Rongelap islanders on beach during 1985 nuclear evacuation mission
Greenpeace campaigner Steve Sawyer, is welcomed by the Rongelap people. © Greenpeace / Fernando Pereira

It took more meetings, talking, and a church service before the work to start loading the Warrior began. Although we did not understand what everyone was saying, it felt important, respectful, and purposeful, with Jeton explaining again why it needed to happen. We were included and listened and felt the heft, the weight of what they were deciding to do, and what we were helping them with.

It was then all shoulders to the wheel as we worked to load the inflatables, and the bum-bum with all manner of belongings. Every house was being taken apart, including all their household goods, and everyone from the youngest to the oldest were preparing to leave. The work set our minds to the task and off the heavy burden of the event.

Altogether, it took four trips and approximately 100 nautical miles between Rongelap and Mejatto to move everyone and everything. We were loaded to the max, sometimes with 100 plus people on board, camped out everywhere – in the cabins, the mess room, the aft deck and lower deck. No one wailed or cried, but weighing anchor and watching people saying goodbye to their home island and moving into the distance was hard.

With this evacuation, the Marshallese story and the Greenpeace story bonded. It affected all of the crew, many who have since said it was the best and most meaningful thing they were involved in with Greenpeace.

1985 Rainbow Warrior crew members and Marshallese travelers on ship deck during Operation Exodus nuclear evacuation mission
The 1985 Rainbow Warrior I crew. Clockwise, starting from bottom left: Bene Hoffman, Second Mate, (Germany0, Davey Edwards, Chief Engineer, 9UK), Nathalie Thomas Mestre, Cook, (Switzerland), Lloyd Anderson, Radio Operator, Fernando Pereira, Hanne Sorensen, Bunny McDiarmid, Deckhand, (New Zealand), Peter Willcox, Skipper, (USA), Martini Gotje, First Mate, (The Netherlands), Hanne Sorensen, Second Engineer, (Denmark), New Zealand journalist David Robie, sitting from left: Grace O’Sullivan, Deckhand, (Ireland); Marshallese traveller; Henk Haazen, Third Engineer, (The Netherlands); Marshallese traveller. © Greenpeace / Fernando Pereira

For myself and my partner Henk (Haazen), who was an engineer on the Warrior, we returned to Mejatto a year later and spent three months there. The outcome of a conversation we had with some of the older women on Mejatto resulted in Greenpeace funding the building of a plywood catamaran in the Marshalls and with Rongelap men working on it, so that they could have more reliable transport.

Operation Exodus and everything the Marshall Islands people went through, put a human face on the nuclear issue – it wasn’t just technology and political negotiations, it was real people that gave up so much to protect their kids and their futures. The world could learn a lot from this community.

2025 – Some things don’t change whilst others do

I have been back to the Marshall Islands a number of times since 1985, but to be present for the 40th commemoration of the evacuation of the Rongelap community was a real privilege.

Aerial view of Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior ship anchored in turquoise Marshall Islands lagoon during 40th anniversary commemoration visit
Greenpeace flagship vessel, the Rainbow Warrior coming into port in Majuro, Marshall Islands. © Bianca Vitale / Greenpeace

At the welcoming ceremony for the Rainbow Warrior in the capital Majuro, I felt my eyes well up when I saw what the Rongelap community were wearing – t-shirts printed with a picture of Senator Jeton Anjain and Steve Sawyer talking together on the Warrior from 1985. This beautiful sartorial surprise said it all – this was not just a smart political move by Jeton to ask Greenpeace to move his community, to which Steve was brave enough to commit Greenpeace to do, but it was the beginning of a long friendship between Greenpeace and Rongelap.

Giff Johnson, editor of the Marshalls Islands Journal, had the same emotional reaction to seeing the t-shirts. He was the man that had brought Jeton and Steve together all those years ago.

Marshallese women wearing commemorative t-shirts with historic photos of Senator Jeton Anjain and Steve Sawyer during 40th anniversary celebration
Local Marshallese women’s group dance and perform cultural songs at the Rainbow Warrior welcome ceremony in Majuro. They wear t-shirts with a picture of Senator Jeton Anjain and Steve Sawyer talking together on the Rainbow Warrior from 1985 © Bianca Vitale / Greenpeace

Returning to Mejatto on the Warrior brought back lots of memories and how some things don’t change whilst others do. The welcoming ceremony was huge! They lined the beach again with leis and coconuts, with the whole community singing and out to greet us.

One of the best things that came from the time Henk and I spent in Mejatto was not just the catamaran Greenpeace funded for the community, but the real friendships and connections that lasted over time. It was great to meet again some of the family of Anjain’s that looked after Henk and I for those three months, and that we have continued to stay in touch with over the years. It was Jeton’s birthday during the time when we were there – Jeton died in 1997 and his grave and his brothers are buried next to each other on Mejatto. The Anjain family asked Henk and I to be part of the family photograph at Jeton’s grave site, and it felt such an honour to be part of that.

The island, thank goodness, has so much more food growing there! Pandanus, breadfruit, and coconuts, though the fishing is still pretty hard going. But man did they pull out all the stops to feed us, which is a very big deal for a community that often has little extra to spare. But like all across the Pacific, sharing food is always the strongest indicator of friendship and hospitality.

Marshallese men preparing traditional food with palm leaves during Greenpeace 40th anniversary commemoration on Mejatto island
Greenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island’s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. © Greenpeace / Olivia Louella

We loved meeting people who were 10 or 15 in 1985, but were now 50 or 60 years old. One of the men who was in his 20s in 1985 had given Henk an outrigger canoe – there were five outriggers that had to be left behind on Rongelap as their drafts were too deep for the Mejatto coast, and these were beautiful working boats. Henk left behind a dugout canoe we had on board the Warrior from Nicaragua. Fair exchange! When this man, Allat, saw Henk again in Majuro, the first thing he said was, “Hey Henk, when are you bringing back my outrigger?”. They both laughed and hugged at the recognition and memory.

The Marshallese have seen many people pass through with good ideas and plans, and many never return or make promises that are not met. In 1985 we tried hard not to raise expectations of what we could do. We answered their call to help them relocate and the decision they made to rescue themselves and leave their home island was truly brave. It resulted in them finally getting an independent scientific assessment of Rongelap, which confirmed their worst fears and experiences – that their island was still badly contaminated and unsafe to continue living on.

Forty years later, our purpose was not just to reconnect, but also to conduct crucial research across the atolls, providing much-needed data on remaining nuclear contamination. Strong bonds have been formed and we cannot forget this defining part in both the Marshall Islands and Greenpeace history. It keeps our friendship and their struggle alive and in retelling this story I hope others will know it and join our effort towards justice – Jimwe im Maron.

Bunny McDiarmid was a deckhand during the 1985 voyage. Now retired, she formerly served as executive director of Greenpeace NZ/Aotearoa (2005-2015) and executive director of Greenpeace International, together with Jennifer Morgan (2016-2019).


About the Organization

Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first.
Learn more at: www.greenpeace.org/usa

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Issue 124 - September 2025

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – No. 124 September 2025

Our September 2025 issue is a mix of stories that made us stop and think. A sawfish stuck in a culvert in Tampa Bay that scientists fought to save. A lone sailor taking a catamaran across the Pacific because he believes conservation should be bold. A canyon off Argentina that turned out to be crawling with species no one had even named yet. And art that reminds us water is memory and healing. Each piece feels alive, like the ocean itself. And we hope you will find something in here that stays with you.

Marshall Islands: Pacific Ocean Time Machine

Vibrant coral reef ecosystem in Marshall Islands marine sanctuary showing diverse fish species including groupers and sharks swimming among colorful corals at Bikar and Bokak atolls

In a groundbreaking conservation move, the Marshall Islands has established its first national marine sanctuary around the remote Bikar and Bokak atolls, protecting 48,000 square kilometers of pristine Pacific waters. National Geographic’s 452-dive expedition revealed ecosystems so untouched they represent “the ocean of 1,000 years ago” – harboring the region’s largest green turtle colonies, healthiest coral reefs, and abundant deep-sea sharks. Using traditional Reimaanlok knowledge alongside cutting-edge science, this sanctuary offers hope that protection and sustainable use can coexist in our changing ocean. [Read more]

Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Exodus

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior with Nuclear Free Pacific banner, Marshallese people boarding during Operation Exodus evacuation from Rongelap atoll 1985

Forty years ago, 350 Marshall Islanders made an extraordinary choice – abandon their ancestral home of Rongelap atoll rather than continue living with radioactive contamination from decades of U.S. nuclear testing. Operation Exodus saw Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ferry an entire community 180 kilometers to safety, defying American authorities who dismissed the evacuation as environmental manipulation. This defining act of resistance put human faces on nuclear consequences and forged an enduring partnership between Pacific islanders and global activists that continues today. [Read more]

Marshall Islands Leads Pacific Climate Diplomacy

Marshall Islands President Dr. Hilda Heine speaking at microphone during UN Ocean Conference panel discussion in Nice, France, wearing gray blazer with Marshall Islands flag pin

At the forefront of global climate advocacy, the Marshall Islands leverages centuries of traditional Pacific knowledge to address modern ocean challenges. President Dr. Hilda Heine’s recent address at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice demonstrated how Indigenous wisdom in weather forecasting, sustainable fisheries, and navigation offers vital solutions for a planet in crisis. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, these island nations face existential threats from sea level rise and ocean acidification, making their voice both urgent and essential in international climate policy. [Read more]

Marshall Islands, a Pacific Sanctuary of Biodiversity

Remote and rarely visited, the Marshall Islands offer pristine lagoons, coral reefs, and uninhabited atolls teeming with marine life. Divers can explore WWII shipwrecks now transformed into living reefs, while communities balance traditional culture with the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing and the challenges of climate change. For travelers seeking biodiversity, this Pacific nation is a sanctuary like no other. [Read more]

Drowning My Ego in the Maldives

Obsessed with tiger sharks, the author traveled to Fuvahmulah, Maldives, only to find deeper lessons in fear, humility, and unexpected encounters with thresher sharks. A follow-up journey to Malapascua in the Philippines revealed these elusive predators up close in calmer waters, teaching that sometimes the ocean’s rarest wonders come not through pushing limits but through patience and presence. [Read more]

The Magnificent Coral Spawning Phenomenon

Each August, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico hosts one of the Caribbean’s largest coral spawning events—an underwater snowstorm of eggs and sperm released in perfect lunar synchrony. This dazzling display fuels genetic diversity, and critical research into how corals reproduce in a changing climate. For divers, it’s a rare chance to witness the ocean’s power of regeneration firsthand. [Read more]

Argentina’s Hidden Canyon Reveals 40 New Species (Ft. Patrick Star!)

A Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition to Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon stunned scientists and the public alike, documenting coral gardens, suspected new species, and even a starfish that looked like Patrick Star. Nearly 18 million people tuned in live, making it one of the most watched deep-sea explorations ever. The discovery highlighted both the ocean’s vast unknowns and the urgent need to protect them from human impact. [Read more]

Endangered Sawfish Trapped in Tampa Bay Saved by Scientists

A 7.4-foot smalltooth sawfish, trapped in a Tampa Bay wetland, was safely rescued and released by a team from Havenworth Coastal Conservation, FWC, and NOAA. The endangered fish was tagged with a transmitter to track its movements and sampled for research, offering rare insights into a species now found almost exclusively in Florida. With sawfish populations under severe pressure from habitat loss and mysterious “spinning” behavior, every individual’s survival matters. [Read more]

Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation Co-Hosts Seal Health Week

Cape Town hosted the first-ever Seal Health Week, a collaboration led by the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and partners to strengthen marine mammal conservation in Southern Africa. Experts trained in disentanglement, veterinary care, and monitoring, while also engaging the public on reducing plastic waste and supporting marine protected areas. The event showcased how shared knowledge and teamwork can create lasting impact for seals and wider ocean ecosystems. [Read more]

Why Healthy Oceans Are Our Best Defense Against Hurricanes

Two decades after Hurricane Katrina, one lesson stands out: healthy seas protect our shores. Wetlands, reefs, and seagrass buffer storm surge, yet the systems that safeguard them are being dismantled. As hurricanes grow stronger and more costly, investing in ocean health is no longer optional but essential for coastal resilience. [Read more]

Scientists Develop Solutions for Mining Water Contamination

Arctic offshore drilling platform in pristine northern waters surrounded by snow-covered mountains highlighting environmental protection needs

Researchers in Canada have tested nature-inspired filters called permeable reactive barriers to clean toxic mining wastewater in Arctic conditions. Using gravel, iron, and wood chips, the system removed more than 95% of arsenic and trapped uranium effectively at just 5°C. While nitrate proved harder to manage, the study shows how semi-passive, low-cost treatments could protect northern waterways as mining expands across fragile Arctic ecosystems. [Read more]

Record-Breaking Waterman Sets Sail Solo for Sea Conservation

South African ocean conservationist Chris Bertish has embarked on a 2,800-mile solo journey from San Diego to Hawaii aboard The Wildcat, a 20-foot beach catamaran with no cabin or shelter. The TransCat Expedition 2025 is the first attempt of its kind, combining extreme endurance with a mission to raise funds and awareness for marine protection, reef restoration, and global education initiatives. [Read more]

The Global Ocean Development Forum Exhibits “Healing Waters”

At this year’s Global Ocean Development Forum in Shandong, China, artist Selva Ozelli’s Healing Waters series will be exhibited at the Lixian Art Museum from September 7–10. The paintings highlight conservation efforts in Chesapeake Bay and honor the extinct Maryland Darter, using art as a call to heal waters worldwide. The exhibition runs alongside the international forum on sustainable ocean development. [Read more]

Hunting and Angling Leaders Speak Out Against Senate Plan

Top voices from the hunting and angling community, including leaders from MeatEater, Trout Unlimited, and the National Wildlife Federation, have released a joint video urging the U.S. Senate to abandon proposals to sell public lands. Representing millions of hunters and anglers, they warn that once these lands are lost, they are gone forever, and call on Congress to end large-scale land sale efforts immediately. [Read more]

Population Growth Might Impact Availability and Access

A new Forum paper by Mark Cromer explores how rising population, and social media trends are making America’s open spaces harder to access. Once-public refuges are increasingly treated as luxury amenities, with overcrowding, development, and budget cuts threatening equitable access to nature for all. [Read more]


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Feature Destination

Feature Destination: Marshall Islands Elevated Pacific Traditional Knowledge at UN Ocean Conference

Marshall Islands President Dr. Hilda Heine speaking at microphone during UN Ocean Conference panel discussion in Nice, France, wearing gray blazer with Marshall Islands flag pin
Photo credit: IISD/ENB – Kiara Worth

During the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) brought international attention to the importance of traditional Pacific knowledge in confronting today’s ocean and climate challenges.

Traditional Knowledge Meets Modern Science

Her Excellency Dr. Hilda C. Heine, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, took part in Ocean Action Panel 7, which focused on the connections between ocean, climate, and biodiversity. She highlighted the essential role of traditional knowledge systems in Pacific communities and encouraged greater integration of these practices with modern science. President Heine pointed out that Pacific societies have long relied on this knowledge in areas such as weather forecasting, sustainable fisheries, navigation, and agriculture.

She called on global financing institutions to recognize the value of Indigenous approaches and to invest in Pacific-led solutions.

Triple Planetary Crisis Impact

Her remarks came as Pacific Island nations continue to experience severe consequences from the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Countries like the Marshall Islands, which contribute very little to global emissions, are among the most vulnerable to sea level rise, marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events.

UNOC3 was held in Nice, France from 9 to 13 June 2025. Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the conference brought together heads of state, scientists, civil society leaders, Indigenous representatives, and private sector actors to mobilize urgent and science-based action to protect the ocean. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a negotiated political declaration and a registry of voluntary commitments from all sectors.

Ocean-Based Climate Solutions

President Heine also spoke about the term “ocean-based climate solutions,” urging more clarity around its meaning. She noted that the concept is often too vague and may include controversial practices like geoengineering, which are not supported by Pacific leaders. However, she said there are approaches that the region is eager to pursue, such as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion and tidal and wave energy systems. These options, she explained, remain out of reach for many due to serious financial and technological barriers.

She called for countries to submit more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to help keep the 1.5-degree warming target within reach. She also emphasized the importance of honoring the commitments made at COP28 in Dubai, including those related to phasing out fossil fuels.

Pacific Climate Leadership

According to President Heine, Pacific climate strategies are already highly ambitious. She suggested that ocean-based adaptation and renewable energy systems could be a strong part of these strategies, but underscored that meaningful progress will require access to international finance.

The Marshall Islands was part of a large Pacific delegation in Nice, joined by leaders from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, and others. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) provided support to the group as part of the One CROP collaboration.

Call for Global Action

President Heine concluded by stressing the need for deeper global understanding of the ocean, the importance of grounding policy in science, and the urgency of turning commitments into action to protect marine ecosystems for present and future generations.

UNOC3 built on the progress made during previous UN Ocean Conferences, hosted in New York in 2017 by Sweden and Fiji, and in Lisbon in 2022 by Portugal and Kenya. For more information, visit: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/ocean2025

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Feature Destination

Feature Destination: Marshall Islands Creates First Marine Sanctuary, Protecting Two of the Most Pristine Ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean

Vibrant coral reef ecosystem in Marshall Islands marine sanctuary showing diverse fish species including groupers and sharks swimming among colorful corals at Bikar and Bokak atolls
Photo by Enric Sala/National Geographic Pristine Seas

Earlier this year, the Republic of the Marshall Islands announced protection of two of the country’s remote and northernmost isles, untouched havens of biodiversity sheltering the nation’s largest green turtle nesting colony and deep sea sharks. The country’s first national marine sanctuary — which covers 48,000 square kilometers of water — is an exceedingly rare glimpse into a pristine part of the Pacific Ocean.

The area around the two uninhabited atolls, Bikar and Bokak, and the nearby deep sea will be fully protected from fishing.

“The ocean as our ancestors knew it is vanishing,” remarked Dr. Hilda Heine, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. “Without sustainable ocean ecosystems, our economy, stability and cultural identity will collapse. The only way to continue benefiting from the ocean’s treasures is to protect it. I am proud of our country’s first marine sanctuary, which certainly won’t be its last.”

Benefits of Marine Protection

Marine protected areas (MPAs) where fishing and other damaging activities are banned restore marine life within their boundaries. That, in turn, replenishes nearby fish populations and improves local fishing, provides jobs and economic benefits, and builds resilience against a warming ocean.

“The ocean is life,” said Glen Joseph, Director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA). “The world’s ocean is being degraded, but we are able to bring part of it back by recognizing that protection and food production are not mutually exclusive. Safeguarding areas of high biodiversity delivers benefits to local communities who rely on fish and other aspects of a healthy environment. Our future depends on protecting our ocean.”

The Reimaanlok Conservation Approach

The Marshall Islands is conserving its atolls as part of its unique conservation approach, known as Reimaanlok. Meaning ‘look towards the future,’ the Reimaanlok process relies on cultural insights and traditional knowledge to drive conservation. As part of this approach, coastal communities work together to design their own resource management plans for how to sustainably and equitably use their local terrestrial and marine resources.

Scientific Expedition Reveals Pristine Ecosystem

During an expedition to Bikar and Bokak in 2023, National Geographic Pristine Seas and MIMRA gathered data about marine life from the surface to 2,340 meters depth — from lagoons and coral reefs to far offshore. The team of scientists and filmmakers used visual SCUBA surveys of coral reefs and open water environments; dropped cameras to the sea floor; counted and identified seabirds; tested genetic material found in the water; and explored little-known portions of the underwater environment in a submersible.

“Bikar and Bokak’s coral reefs are a time machine, like diving in the ocean of 1,000 years ago,” remarked Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas. “In these remote atolls, we saw the healthiest coral, giant clam, and reef fish populations in the central and western Pacific. They are our best baselines for what the ocean could look like if we truly let it be.”

Research Collaboration and Findings

During its expedition, Pristine Seas collaborated with local researchers and government officials, including Iroojlaplap (High Chief) Bokloñ Zackious and Mayor Tobin Kaiko of the Utrik Atoll Local Government. The team conducted a staggering 452 dives around Bikar, Bokak, Bikini, and Rongerik atolls. That equates to 643 hours spent underwater. The team then shared a scientific report with decisionmakers to ensure they had the data needed to inform the Reimaanlok.

Key Discoveries

The expedition team noted that Bikar and Bokak harbor:

  • The largest green turtle nesting colony and seabird colonies in RMI
  • Mature Pisonia forests in excellent condition
  • The highest coral cover and giant clam densities in the central and western Pacific
  • High coral resilience to global warming
  • The highest reef fish biomass in the tropical Pacific Ocean
  • A large abundance of vulnerable species such as large groupers, Napoleon wrasse and bumphead parrotfish
  • The presence of rare fish spawning aggregations and shark mating
  • Little known deep-sea communities with potentially new species of fishes and invertebrates
  • Abundant deep-sea sharks

Nuclear Legacy and Conservation Context

Bikar and Bokak stand in contrast to Bikini Atoll, which was used as a nuclear test site in the wake of WWII. At the request of MIMRA, Pristine Seas studied Bikini atoll to help the country establish its first long-term monitoring sites using standard data collection methodologies and Rongerik Atoll as an unbombed reference site.


About the Organization

National Geographic Pristine Seas works with Indigenous and local communities, governments, and other partners to protect vital places in the ocean through research, policy, and filmmaking. Since 2008, Pristine Seas has helped establish 30 marine protected areas, spanning more than 6.9 million square kilometers of ocean.

Pristine Seas is part of the global non-profit, the National Geographic Society. Our mission is driven by science and filmmaking — we are fully independent from National Geographic publishing and its media arm.

Pristine Seas’ work is made possible through the generous support of the Beagle Charitable Foundation, Allison Bennington, Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Campbell Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, Don Quixote Foundation, The Heinz Family Foundation, Anne K. Howson, Levy Foundation, LGT Venture Philanthropy, Lindblad Expeditions– National Geographic Fund, Look and See Foundation, Ann Luskey, Oracle, Philip Stephenson Foundation, Postcode Lottery Group, Rituals, Serventi Family Foundation, Tanka Foundation, Ted and Michele Waitt–TTMMC Fund, UBS Optimus Foundation, Walmart Foundation, an anonymous donor, and other individual donors.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org

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