Alan Friedlander

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Study documents intact coral atolls inside Marshall Islands' first marine sanctuary

First author of the 2026 Bikar and Bokak study

In January 2025, the Marshall Islands banned fishing across 48,000 square kilometers around Bikar and Bokak, two uninhabited atolls in the northern Pacific. A study published Nov. 11, 2026, gives the first detailed ecological baseline of the sanctuary.

Updated 4 hours ago

Notable Quotes

Bikar and Bokak are not just treasures for the Marshall Islands but for the entire planet, a gift from the community of Utirik Atoll.

from Study documents intact coral atolls inside Marshall Islands' first marine sanctuary · Updated 4 hours ago

They are among the best ecological reference systems we have to better understand what we have lost elsewhere.

from Study documents intact coral atolls inside Marshall Islands' first marine sanctuary · Updated 4 hours ago