Fr
C
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
of the
RONGELAP FIELD TRIP
of
August 1958
The second Pield for the Rongelap ecology program was
from 13 to 24 August and on 2 September 1958. The field
party was made up of five senior scientists from the Laboratory of Radiation Biology, School of Forestry, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Washington and six
graduate students (five University of Washington and one Ohio
State University).
The ecological studies included:
1
2
3)
4)
soil types and characteristics
ground water
percolation (by use of lysimeters)
nutrient content and deficiencies of soils and plants (by
analysis and fertilization)
2} taxonomy and distribution of algae
6)
collection of fish and observation of habits in various
nvironmental situations
7
collection of corals for taxonomic studies
8
limited collections of native rats
9
observations and collections of birds
10
cdiection and observation of habits of some invertebrates
il
limited collections of plankton and bottom samples from
the lagoon
12)
A weather station was established near the village on
Rongelap Island.
In addition food items were collected and background radiation levels determined with survey-type instruments.
A daily
ration of food grown at Rongelap was obtained from each of fourteen adults.
Background radiation levels at Rongelap Atoll in
March and August 1958 in mr/hr were:
Rongelap Island
Eniaetok Island
Kabelle Island
0.029 -- 0.058
0.067 -- 0.076
O.14
-- 0.16
The presence ¢ WL85 in plant leaf and plankton samples indicates
some contamination from the recent test series.