Marshall Islands designates Bikar and Bokak marine sanctuary

The Marshall Islands designated Bikar and Bokak atolls and surrounding waters as its first national marine sanctuary in 2025, protecting about 48,000 square kilometres. A 2023 survey of the remote Pacific ecosystems documented diverse wildlife and habitats, findings that informed the protected area’s creation.

Researchers surveyed the atolls across land, sea and deep-water environments, using scuba, underwater video, deep-sea cameras and a submarine. The study recorded 266 reef-fish taxa, 138 fish taxa in deeper waters and 79 groups of deep-sea fishes. It also documented 15 seabird colonies confirmed or considered likely to be breeding.

The survey recorded 132 green sea turtle nest pits, concentrated largely at Bikar. Bokak had greater reef-fish biomass and coral-dominated reefs, while Bikar supported greater algal diversity. The study did not determine what explains the ecological differences between the atolls.

The researchers describe Bikar and Bokak as relatively intact ecosystems, a comparison based on observed conditions and their reduced exposure to direct local pressures. They caution that remoteness does not mean the atolls are untouched: both had introduced Polynesian...