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Dr. A. Setmore 
Secretary 
Smithsonian Institution 
Dear Dr. *<« tteore« 
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Through* Dr* $aldo L* Sehaitt 
Head Curator of Biology 
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In 1846 I attempted to measure quantitatively the 
relative abundance of reef fishes at Bikini, two types of 
noasurenents ware made* 1) after poisoning the number of 
fish recovered per square yard of surface searshea was sailed 
the index of relative abujotiersoe* and 2} the number of fish 
piekefup at night attracted to a light suspended over the 
stem of s small ship was recorded as an index of number of 
fish captured per dio-not~hour. 
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*e ran sufficient stations in several localities in 
the northern Marshalls in each type of habitat so that if this 
work is repeated we should hare an indioation of any major 
change in abundance at Bikini for reef fishes. To soasure ths 
effect of the atom bombs* it is urgent that two low tidal series 
bs investigated by the sene set hods at Bikini. It would be 
necessary to make use of five of the extreme low tides on eaeh 
of two series* thus 10 stations on the reef. The period of 
about 7 days between workable tides should be spent running 
light stations at night in the lagoon and off the leeward side 
of the reef* To aeeempllsh this latter* it would be neeeaaary 
to have the uninterrupted use for about three to four seeks of 
a email ship* the eise of a minesweeper* A smaller craft in 
the rough waters st Bikini is not stable enough to use ths 
light stt night effectively. •; 
I would need as help for this work* a young ichthyo¬ 
logical student who oan swim and dive. la addition* at least 
two other young men, preferably not- sailors, who are good divers 
and who could act as laborers. Since X would not preserve many 
of the fish recovered, only those recognised as unfamiliar, ths 
mount of equipment taken along would be small as followst 
859 pounds of derris or oubd root* powdered in sealed 
metal containers) 
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