GoKawiilStudy: restoring seabirds and native plants helps atolls keep pace with sea-level rise
A study published in Science Advances by researchers led by Nick Graham of Lancaster University examined 28 atoll islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans, finding that intact ecosystems of seabirds, native vegetation and reef organisms help the islands grow and adapt to rising seas. Seabird guano fertilizes plants and coral, parrotfish convert dead coral into sand, and plant roots stabilize sediment, together reinforcing island growth. The researchers say eradicating invasive rats and replacing coconut plantations with native forest could give islands a better chance of keeping pace with sea-level rise expected by century's end under roughly 2°C of warming.