Rewilding could help vulnerable islands keep pace with rising seas
Seabirds, native plants, and healthy reefs can help atolls build as seas rise.
Tropical atolls, characterized by fringing corals, are among the most vulnerable landforms to global warming's rising seas. However, these islands harbor a potential advantage: robust ecosystems that can aid their resilience. Marine ecologist Nick Graham, from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, spearheaded an international study encompassing 28 atoll islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The team's findings, published in Science Advances on Wednesday, reveal that restoring atoll ecosystems bolsters their growth. Seabirds play a crucial role in this process by transporting nutrients from the open ocean and depositing them on atolls via guano, which nourishes plants, marine life, and coral growth. This aids reef development, as parrotfish and other reef feeders convert dead coral into sand to maintain beaches. Additionally, native plants with extensive root systems stabilize sediments.
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