Scientists Uncover Two Pristine Pacific Atolls in the Marshall Islands
Researchers reveal Bikar and Bokak atolls as rare, untouched ecosystems in the Pacific, highlighting their vital role amid global ocean decline.
POLICY WIRE — Sydney, Australia — Researchers have announced the discovery of two isolated atolls in the Marshall Islands that remain virtually untouched by human activity, marking them as some of the planet’s last wild marine ecosystems.
The global ocean faces accelerating threats, including species loss, coral bleaching, rising acidity, and warming waters, leaving few places where nature thrives unaltered.
Located in the northern Marshall Islands, Bikar and Bokak sit roughly 116 km and 385 km, respectively, from the nearest inhabited atoll, making human impact minimal.
A joint mission by the Marshall Islands Marine Resource Authority and National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program surveyed both sites, documenting vibrant marine life, mature native forests on land, and extensive breeding grounds beneath the waves.
These findings underscore the critical importance of preserving such rare refuges as benchmarks for ocean health and as reservoirs of biodiversity in an increasingly degraded seas.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
