How corals that re-colonized Bikini Atoll after nuclear bomb tests adapted to persistent radiation
June 28, 2017 by Rob Jordan
More than 70 years after the U.S. tested atomic bombs on a ring of sand in the Pacific Ocean called Bikini Atoll, Stanford researchers are studying how long-term radiation exposure there has affected corals that normally grow for centuries without developing cancer. The researchers' work is featured in today's (June 28) episode of "Big Pacific," a five-week PBS series about species, natural phenomena and behaviors of the Pacific Ocean.
"The terrible history of Bikini Atoll is an ironic setting for research that might help people live longer," said Stephen Palumbi, the Harold A. Miller Professor of Marine Science. "By understanding how corals could have recolonized the radiation-filled bomb craters, maybe we can discover something new about keeping DNA intact."
https://phys.org/news/2017-06-corals-re-colonized-bikini-atoll-nuclear.html
