Key facts
- Healthy ecosystems can help atolls build landmass to keep pace with rising seas.
- Seabirds ferry nutrients from the ocean to atolls, nurturing land plants, marine life, and coral growth.
- Native plants with extensive root networks stabilize sediments.
- Restoring native vegetation and eliminating invasive rats can enhance reef growth.
- Reef growth rates are less likely to keep pace with projected sea-level rise without seabird populations.
Healthy ecosystems, including seabirds, native vegetation, and coral reefs, can help atoll islands build landmass to keep pace with rising seas, according to research published in Science Advances. The study, led by Nick Graham of Lancaster University, analyzed 28 atoll islands across the Pacific and Indian oceans. Researchers found that restoring these natural systems reinforces island growth by creating a virtuous cycle where ecosystems become more resilient. Seabirds transport nutrients from the ocean to the atolls, supporting plant and coral growth, while native plants stabilize sediments and healthy reefs provide material for island building. The findings suggest that eradicating invasive rats and replacing coconut plantations with native forests could give some atolls a chance to persist with projected sea-level rises.