Coral Recovery

Marine scientists diving at Bikini Atoll expected to find a "moonscape." And sure enough, at least 28 species of coral have disappeared from the reef. On nearby islands, radioactivity makes coconut trees "go berserk."

But that's remarkable resilience for a reef that hosted dozens of atomic bomb tests in the 1940s and '50s, the researchers say. Resilient? An understatement, perhaps. Imagine bouncing back from 99,000 degree water and a blast big enough to "vaporize" three islands. Today, parts of the atoll are up to 80 percent covered with coral. Way to go, Bikini.
Sources: New Scientist, Reuters UK

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