Operations Crossroads Correspondence from Leonard P. Schultz to Lt. Comdr. C. A. Barnes U.S.S. Bowditch written July 11, 1946

ID: SIA2010-0906 and SIA2010-0907 and SIA2010-0908

Creator: Schultz, Leonard P (Leonard Peter) 1901-

Form/Genre: Paper

Date: July 11, 1946

Citation: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7222, Box 23, Folder: 4

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Summary

  • SIA2010-0906 and SIA2010-0907 are the pages of a letter that Dr. Leonard P. Schultz wrote to Lt. Comdr. C. A. Barnes summarizing his "work on the reef fishes of the Crossroads Project". He describes the poisoning stations "that can be treated statistically as to the relative abundance of fishes," and the marine light which "was used at night with the intention of measuring the abundance of fish attracted to it." After relaying the results of these and other counts, he outlines how he believes the study of the reef fishes should be run after the Baker Day nuclear weapon test, and states his conclusions of the affect of another nuclear weapon test, the Able Day test, on the reef and lagoon fishes in the area. Based on the fact that "no fish were seen floating on the surface waters of the lagoon a few hours after Able Day test nor on July 3" when he cruised to several places in the area, he argues that "little or no damage was done to the reef or lagoon fishes from the Able Day explosion." Finally, he remarks that he is now taking leave and returning to the United States National Museum to "begin work on the final report on the Crossroads fishes" and is turning over the field work to Capt. Earl S. Herald.
  • SIA2010-0908 is a chart entitled "Classification of the index of abundance according to the kind of habitat fished. March 10 to July 1, 1946."

Subject

  • Herald, Earl S
  • Barnes, C. A Lt. Cmdr
  • Bowditch (Surveying vessel)

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Notes

  • A 2-page letter and related chart from the correspondence from Leonard P. Schultz to Lt. Comdr. C. A. Barnes U.S.S. Bowditch. The Crossroads Operation was an expedition to Bikini and the northern Marshall Islands in 1946 under the auspices of the Department of the Navy. Dr. Leonard P.Schultz, Curator of Fishes at the National Museum of Natural History, was in charge of the biological investigation of the reef fishes in the area. His investigations centered on the relative abundance of fauna before and after the atom bomb tests. Specimens were collected for the purpose of comparison and to make possible a study of anatomical variations among the various island fish populations.
  • See Neg. #s for Operation Crossroads 1946: 91-6345, SIA2010-0895, SIA2010-0896, SIA2010-0897, SIA2010-0899, SIA2010-0900, SIA2010-0901, SIA2010-0902, SIA2010-0903, SIA2010-0904, SIA2010-0905, SIA2010-0906, SIA2010-0907, SIA2010-0908, SIA2010-0922, SIA2010-0923, SIA2010-0973, SIA2010-0974

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7222, Box 23, Folder: 4

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

July 11, 1946

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

  • Charts, diagrams, etc
  • Nuclear weapons
  • Scientific expeditions
  • Atomic Bomb Tests
  • Oceans
  • Fishes
  • Letters
  • Collectors and collecting
  • Field Work
  • Scientists
  • Testing
  • Operation Crossroads, Marshall Islands, 1946/1947
  • Nuclear weapons--Testing
  • Oceanography

Place

  • Marshall Islands
  • Bikini Atoll (Marshall Islands)

Form/Genre

  • Paper
  • Document

ID Number

SIA2010-0906 and SIA2010-0907 and SIA2010-0908

Physical description

Number of Images: 3; Color: Color; Size: 8w x 10.5h; Type of Image: Document; Medium: Paper

Full Record

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