‘WILD AND UNTOUCHED’

Scientists Make Jaw-Dropping Discovery in Remote Pacific

Two uninhabited atolls may offer “fundamental insights” into conservation and habitat restoration efforts

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Scientists have discovered two “wild and untouched” coral atolls near the Marshall Islands. The Daily Mail reports that the remote, ring-shaped Pacific reefs—named Bikar and Bokak—could be some of the most pristine ecosystems left in the region. “These atolls have extensive seabird colonies, mature native vegetation, active turtle nesting, high reef-fish biomass and large predators,” Alan Friedlander, a marine ecologist at the University of Hawai’i and a co-author of the study, told Scimex. The reefs are a haven for hundreds of groups of fish, along with fifteen groups of open-water predators, including sharks. The Daily Mail reports that two of the species identified may be new to science. “[The atolls] are among the best ecological reference systems we have to better understand what we have lost elsewhere and to provide fundamental insights needed for effective conservation and restoration efforts,” Friedlander said. Researchers began surveying the area in 2023 using underwater video, deep-sea cameras, and a submarine. In 2025, the Marshall Islands officially designated a 18,500-square-mile marine sanctuary around the atolls.