These gave out combined fission of 42.2 Mt. The Bikini Atoll reef was decimated, and the marine life in the area destroyed. The blasts left behind the wreckage of more than 70 ships which sunk to the ocean floor. 60 years later, they remain. And life has reclaimed that which was destroyed. Coral reefs grow from the shipwrecks, and Bikini Atoll has become a paradise again, yet it is contaminated. The wrecks of planes and ships mark the wastes like gravestones, giving life to the new reef.
It demonstrates the natural world’s astouding ability to reclaim that which is lost, but it needs time in order to do so. We need to protect our oceans, and give it time to regenerate the lost biodiversity and habitat diversity caused by human impacts. As shown by the reclamation of Bikini Atoll, there is hope for the planet.
Natural History of Chernobyl Documentary:
https://youtu.be/1lRIxuWgou8
More from the Awareness Project:
Marine Conservation | How to Protect Our Oceans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKrJ-GO4itk
Footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIs1PZ_MmKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNn-oChfb8
Music:
Composer: Whitesand (Martynas Lau)
Year: 2017
Title: Eternity
References and further reading:
Brief history before atomic tests: https://www.bikiniatoll.com/history.html
Marshall Islands history and culture: http://mistories.org/intro.php
UNESCO designation: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1339/