Addendum
A NOTE ON THE VEGETATION
OF THE NORTHERN ISLETS OF RONGELAP ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLANDS, MARCH 1959
B.S. BLUMBERG* AND R.A. CONARD
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Fosberg'? reported changes in the vegetation of
the northern islets of Rongelap Atoll (observed in
1956) which he inferred might have been associ-
and to re-examine the vegetation. A helicopter
was available for transportation, which permitted
general and detailed air examination as well as
two short ground surveys. The northern islets were
ated with the radioactive fallout that occurred on
this atoll in 1954. During the medical survey of
the Rongelap people’ carried out in March 1959,
an Opportunity arose to visit someof theseislets
estimated to have received a radiation dose of
= 3000 r. The islets of Naen and Gegen were examined in greatest detail. The most striking feature observed from the air was the generally gray
color of much of the vegetation, in contrast to its
thee
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Figure A-1. Map of Rongelap Atoll showing position of majorislets.
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“NationalInstitutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.