Files ~3- May 26, 1967 Plant and animal life now exist on all the islands and marine life appears to be abundant in the lagoon and ocean reef waters. The lagoon waters were murky with suspended silt in 1964 and the coral growth was severely inhibited. Such was not the case in 1967--the waters were clear and the coral obviously growing again. Bikini and Enyu are more thickly overgrown than in 1964. However, the plant species are mostly of the wild and weedy type, such as scaevola, messerschmidea and dodonea. There were some coconuts and pandanas. There were also some coconuts at the former test camp site on Airukiiji. Coconut crabs were captured on Bikini and Enyu and on two of the smaller southern rim islands. The southern rim islands also appeared to be breeding grounds for sea birds such as boobies, frigate birds, noddies, and terns. The survey party and ship's trew captured about a dozen green sea turtles--two of which were in the 300 pound class. A giant clam was taken from the lagoon at Bikini Island; none were found in 1964. The survey was successful in that all work items were done that were planned, There remains much work to be done before a recommendation can be made regarding repatriation. Samples of soils, plants and animals need to be analyzed for isotopes; the instruments need to be calibrated for the isotope mixtures and levels and then intercalibrated with each other so as to get data as precise as possible; then the radiation data will have to be analyzed in the light of changing human living habits and permissible population dose limits (some levels are higher than guides for the population used by Federal Agencies in their health protection activities). It may be that certain areas may have to have time-limited access and that certain local foods may have to be banned (coconut crabs). Some problems of agriculture have straightforward solutions while others will require careful consideration. The islands obviously will sustain plants and a tentative planting plan has been suggested by the Trust Territories agriculturalist. However, if the isotope data indicate ; clean-up operations, how to accomplish it without losing the limited organic matter is still a puzzle. In any event, it takes five to seven years from time of planting to get a harvest from a coconut plantation. It may be desirable to initiate at an early date an agricultural research program leading to improved species and agricultural techniques.