Bikini Atoll, the site in the Pacific where the US conducted nuclear tests more than 70 years ago, now has a surprisingly abundant ecosystem.
Scientists report huge corals ("the size of cars") at the sites of nuclear explosions and say the areas are teeming with fish such as perch, shark (some sharks have a noticeable mutation - one fin is missing) and tuna, reports The Guardian.
Steve Palumby, professor of marine science at Stanford University, and his team are studying the effects of radiation poisoning in marine life. The flora and fauna on the Micronesian island halfway between Hawaii and Australia has proven to be "remarkably resilient," says the scientist.
The scientist reports on the abundance of fish that live in the lagoon and use live coral as a spawning place. Professor Palumby says that fish populations thrive because they are left alone, without enemies or competitors - "strangely protected by the history of this place."
Palumby's team is focusing their research efforts on coral crabs and coconut crayfish because they live quite a long time compared to fish, which allows scientists to understand how radiation has affected the DNA of animals over the years.
Because the fish has a relatively short life, it is possible that the hardest hit fish died decades ago, Palumby said. And the fish living in Bikini Atoll today are exposed to only a small level of radiation exposure, as they often leave the atoll area.
“This is the most destructive thing we have ever done in the ocean, dropping 23 atomic bombs here. But the ocean does manage to come back to life, and that's encouraging,”Palumbi said.
The numerous corals that have filled the craters from nuclear explosions seem to be completely unaffected by high levels of radiation. Scientists are now examining their DNA to understand how these organisms were able to adapt to new conditions.
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Although plant, animal and ocean life is showing strong signs of recovery, people are still unable to live and work in the atoll. In a report presented to the UN, it was stated that the radiation pollution of the environment in the area is "practically irreversible."
Let us note that life is in full swing in another well-known place of a nuclear disaster - in the zone of the Chernobyl accident. The surrounding forests are inhabited by wild animals in abundance.
Nikolay Guryanov