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Dr. Shields Warren, Director Division of Biology and Medicine U.S. Atomic Energy Commission We have just returned from our resurvey of the Bikini and Eniwetok areas. The program as outlined for Bikini last spring (UWFL-1O) was completed with all the stations occupied and sufficient data gathered that it will notjybepossible for us to evaluate the changes that have taken place. We arrived at Bikini on July 3, 1948 and remained until July 20, The weather during our stay was uniformly fair so that we could work in the field each day. Collections were made in each collecting area with samples of the aquatic fauna and flora gathered for preservation by drying, ashing or chemical means. A total of 1878 ashed samples were prepared at Bikini. Material gathered for further study in our laboratories will greatly increzse the number of samples. The period from July 21 to July 30 was spent at Eniwetok \ where we collected extensively in six areas. Three of the collecting areas were in the relatively uncontaminated areas, with three stations near major sources of contaminating materials. spot collections and plankton sampling helped to complete the sampling. We prepared 798 ashed samples while at Eniwetok and returned with frozen, dried, and chemically preserved samples for continuing the QQ study at our laboratory. 1 The counting of the activity contained in the samples is get- \ ting underway. As fast as counts are made and the dat= analyzed we will prepare summary reports that will be sent to you. & It is entirely too early to predict with certainty the distribution of the fission products, it does seem however, that there has been a shift of active materials at Bikini up onto the land mass and into the vegetation. Some collections were made of land plants and animals to study the zmounts contained in the various The organization of the data collected during this and previous years’ expeditions into a complete study will be a very Herculean task. We hope that on your next trip to the west you can visit our laboratory so that we may review the problems and develop those that will contribute to an understanding of the most importznt phases of the work. The Navy was very helpful in all phases of the program. They helped expedite the movement of personnel, equipment and materials. We zre especially gra’tefulfor the assignment of Lt. J. J. Schmidt, U.S.N. as our liaison officer. Mr. Schmidt is a fine young ing of the problems.
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In all matters of ?.dministration,security, transferen~e of reports and material wc shall continue ‘cowork with the Atomic Energy Commissions representative at Richland as we hcve in the Very sincerely yours, Applled Fisheries Laboratory