The first of the two surveys was operating et sea, June
11-21, 1956, during the weapons testing program.
of this survey sre summarized in UWFL-46°
3
.
The results
The summary of this
report statee:
A survey to determine the amount of radioactivity in
the waters atout Bikini and Fniwetok Atolls was made
during the period June 1] to 21, 1356.
A grid of ststions about 45 miles apart covering
78,999 gquere miles of ocean between 10° 15' NB to 14° N
and 159° to 16€? EB wes covered by the survey. The distance traveled wes 3 335 miles.
Radioective méterials were found in the plankton
samples from every station.
The highest plankton counts,
1,100,090 d/m/g (wet weight) were obtained near Bikin{>
Atoll, and the lowest, 1,300 d/m/g, in the northwestern
part of the survey ares.
The averaze value for plankton was 71,000 d/m/g
which was 7,100 times the average surface water value.
Water samples were collected at surface and at depths
of 25, 50, 75 and 190 meters.
The average radioactivity of water was 10,000 d/m/l
at the surface and 3,99) d/m/l at 100 meters.
DOF ARCHIVES
The second survey of the 1956 series was conducted during
September, about six weeks after the termination of the weapons
testing cvrogram,
during whioh time decay and dispersion of the
radioactivity had teken
place.
As in the first survey,
the
U. &. Navy assigned a navel vessel, in this case the USS Marsh
(Destroyer Escort 699), to be used as the survey ship.
This