In the remote waters of the Pacific Ocean, where human influence is minimal, scientists are creating a detailed map of one of the planet's last truly wild marine ecosystems. Two coral atolls — Bikar and Bokak in the Marshall Islands — became national marine sanctuaries in 2025, and since then researchers from the Pristine Seas project have been conducting a comprehensive inventory of life from the surface to the depths.
Green sea turtles nest here, the coral reefs teem with more than 260 species of fish, and sharks, jacks and wahoo hunt in the open water. Cameras and a submarine have recorded unexpectedly rich deep-water communities, and two fish species may be unknown to science. Fifteen species of seabirds are raising young or, by all appearances, preparing to do so.
These atolls, located 116 and 385 kilometers from the nearest inhabited islands, serve as a kind of benchmark. According to marine ecologist Alan Friedlander of the University of Hawaii, they help us understand what exactly has been lost in other regions and provide key reference points for ecosystem restoration. Data show that global wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, and marine populations by 59 percent.
Differences between the two atolls are already apparent: Bokak is dominated by corals, and fish biomass there is twice as high as on Bikar, where algae cover a significant portion of the slopes. Scientists are still clarifying the reasons for these differences. Importantly, the protection of the atolls rests on the islanders' traditional practices — "mo" or "taboo" zones where human activity is restricted, allowing nature to recover.
However, even such remote corners are not immune to global threats: ocean warming, coral bleaching and sea-level rise affect them as well. The project emphasizes the need to study ecosystems as a whole — from birds to deep-water inhabitants — in order to track changes and maintain their integrity.
The research results are already helping local and international conservation efforts, and the atolls themselves are being called "treasures for the entire planet."
