lutea, Triumfetta procumbens, Tournefortia argentea and Scaevola sericea, as well as areas of atoll scrub and vines. Much of the Pisonia forest noted in earlier surveys was devastated by a cyclone, perhaps Typhoon Mary in 1977. This is likely a naturally recurring event. A small number of coconut palms planted by visiting islanders survive. A 1952 survey found that they produced small nuts containing bitter milk. Fauna Bikar's status as a major seabird nesting site was affected by a cyclone and the introduction of more aggressive rat species. Twenty-three species of birds were found in a 1969 survey, of which 19 were observed during a follow-up count in 1988. Species breeding in larger numbers that year included the great frigatebird and red-footed booby. Their numbers appear reduced due to the destruction of the Pisonia forests. Other breeding species include the red-tailed tropicbird, white-tailed tropicbird, the masked booby, brown booby, white tern, brown noddy, and sooty tern. Migrant birds include small numbers of the ruddy turnstone, wandering tattler, bristle-thighed curlew, lesser golden plover, and Pacific reef heron. Bikar is also a major nesting site for the endangered green turtle, over 250 nesting sites having been observed in 1988. The Polynesian rat is common on Bikar and Jabwelo. By 1993, a "population explosion" of non-Polynesian rats had been noted on the atoll, most likely introduced by Asian fishing trawlers operating illegally in the vicinity of Bikar. This raised concerns for the important sea turtle and bird nesting sites. The coral fauna lacks diversity and shows signs of frequent storm damage. The corals include several genera not seen at Taongi Atoll, and the diversity of fish is much greater, including the two-spot red snapper, humpback red snapper, leopard grouper, and humphead parrot fish. Shellfish include the black-lipped pearl oyster, bear paw clam, maxima clam, and the Trochus sea snail. No marine mammals have been seen in the lagoon. History Prehistory Although humans migrated to the Marshall Islands about 2000 years ago, and Bikar was occasionally visited by the Marshallese, there is no evidence that there has ever been a resident human population. The lack of water and the susceptibility of the atoll to cyclone and storm disturbance indicate that it will probably remain uninhabited. The atoll has traditionally been used for hunting and gathering, particularly seabirds and turtles, by inhabitants of other atolls in the northern Ratak chain. Along with the other uninhabited