The terrestrial fauna is limited in variety.
mammal present is the small field rat,
Rattus exulans.
most common birds are the fairy tern, Gygis alba,
terns,
Anous
stolidus
and A.
tenuirostris,
are common,
geckos,
and the noddy
The reptiles are
and a blind snake.
Land crabs
the most spectacular being Birgus latro,
nut or robber crab.
and individuals.
The
which nest in large
numbers on some of the uninhabited islets.
represented by skinks,
The only
the coco-~-
insects are few, both in number of species
The most severe pest appears to be the beetle,
Brontispa sp., which attacks the coconut palm.
In contrast to the land areas there is a tremendous proliferation of both numbers and variety of organisms on the reefs
and in the lagoon.
fish.
Plankton,
For example,
however,
there are over 700 species of
is extremely sparse and as
a conse-
quence the water is so clear that green algae are found growing
at depths of 180 feet.
Since the question of the effects of radiation on the
organisms inevitably arises,
it might be well to consider it
briefly before going on to the main subject.
that the levels of radiation were of
affect living organisms.
However,
There is no doubt
sufficient intensity to
under actual field conditions
and without benefit of study before the addition of radiation