As the site of nuclear testing in the 1950’s, the Bikini Atoll continues to be studied today by scientists like Terry Hamilton from Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. Dr. Hamilton is a radioecologist, interested in seeing how levels of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in soil and plant samples can be lowered to allow people to resettle on islands affected by nuclear testing. On December 8th, Ambassador Armbruster joined Dr. Hamilton on a trip to Bikini to pick up field samples and to look at Department of Energy facilities that could possibly be used to host an international workshop on Bikini Island. On the visit the team saw rich marine life in the surrounding waters, including manta rays, and on land the vegetation on Bikini is also quite lush. It is a beautiful island and has potential for more tourism, with many sunken ships nearby, making it a divers paradise. Sixty seven nuclear tests were conducted in the Marshall Islands in the 1950’s.
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