Tiger Shark - Marshall Islands


The Bikini Atoll, meaning “place of coconuts,” has been the site of 23 atomic detonations. The atomic testing began on July 1, 1946, and lasted through 1958. The original 157 Bikinians were relocated to neighboring islands. The lingering radiation from these atomic tests has made the Bikini Atoll unsuitable for general habitation.

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Galeocerdo cuvier - The tiger shark, named for the prominent stripes covering the body, is a solitary animal found in the warm coastal waters of the world. The tiger shark is known as an apex predator, an animal having no other animal above it in the food chain. The threats facing the tiger shark are over-fishing and the practice of “finning,” removing the fins and throwing the shark back into the water. Without fins, the shark is unable to swim with the necessary speed for water to pass effectively through the gills; the shark dies by suffocation.