The first of the two surveys was operating at sea, June
11-21, 1956, during the weapons testing program.
of this survey are summarized itn UWFL-46
3
.
The results
The summary of this
report states:
A survey to determine the amount of radioactivity in
the waters about Bikini and Eniwetok Atolls was made
during the period June 1] to 21, 1956.
A grid of stations about 45 miles apart covering
78,000 gquere miles of ocean between 10”
and 159°
15' N to 14° n
to 1667 E was ccvered by the survey.
tance traveled was 3.399 miles.
The dis-
Radioective matertals were found in the plankton
samples from every station.
The highest plankton counts,
1,100,090 d/m/g (wet weight) were obtained near Bikini
Atoll, and the lowest, 1,300 d/m/g, in the northwestern
part of the survey area,
The average value for plankton was 71,000 d/n/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 100 meters.
The average radioactivity of water was 10,000 d/m/l
at the surface and 3,900 d/m/l at 100 meters.
The second survey of the 1956 series was conducted during
September, about six weeks after the termination of the weapons
teating program, during which time decay and dispersion of the
radioactivity had taken
place.
As
U. &. Navy assigned a naval vessel,
in the first survey,
the
in this case the USS Marsh
(Destroyer Escort 699), to be used as the survey ship.
This