Scientists find ‘last wild and healthy ecosystems’ left on planet
Researchers found 15 seabird colonies and 266 reef fish groups, and the findings helped create the Marshall Islands’ first national marine sanctuary.
- A new study in Frontiers in Marine Science confirms Bikar Atoll and Bokak Atoll in the Marshall Islands remain "relatively intact" ecosystems, positioning them as vital ecological reference systems amid global biodiversity loss.
- Researchers from the University of Hawai'i led a 2023 expedition to survey the remote atolls, which informed the Marshall Islands Government's decision to designate 18,532 square miles as the country's first national marine sanctuary.
- The survey documented 266 reef fish taxa and 132 green sea turtle nest pits concentrated at Bikar, while Bokak featured coral-dominated reefs where hard corals and encrusting algae made up 60 to 80 percent of shallow waters.
- Sharks accounted for 33.9 percent of fore-reef biomass at Bokak and 26.8 percent at Bikar, demonstrating what marine ecologist Alan Friedlander called an "unparalleled glimpse" into habitats with minimal human influence.
- These findings support the Marshall Islands' community-led Reimaanlok vision for protecting marine resources, as Friedlander concluded the government should be applauded for protecting these global biodiversity hotspots where habitats "teem with life.
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The research carried out by the University of Hawaii reveals that in both ecosystems there are species still unknown to science.
Is there a place in the world where humans haven’t left their mark? The answer is “yes,” and it’s two atolls in the Pacific Ocean. According to researchers, the coral atolls of Bikar and Bokak appear to remain “wild and untouched.” They’re located near the Marshall Islands and may be some of the most intact ecosystems left in the region, and perhaps the world.
Scientists find some of the 'very last wild and healthy ecosystems' in the world's oceans untouched by humans
Humans have left their mark on virtually every place on the planet, from the deep sea to the peaks of the highest mountains. But a few very remote atolls in the Pacific Ocean may be exceptions. A new Frontiers in Marine Science study has found two coral atolls, Bikar and Bokak, located on the territory of the Marshall Islands, to be some of the most intact ecosystems remaining in the region and perhaps the world.
Protothema
PentapostagmaBikar and Bokak in the Marshall Islands of the Pacific Ocean, appear to be truly "wild and untouched"
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