Seabird-linked reefs show higher growth potential around rat-free atolls

Comparing seabirds, vegetation, and reefs across twenty-eight islands

Researchers studying 28 atoll islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans used ecosystem energetics—tracking energy flow among organisms—to connect seabirds, native vegetation, corals, and reef-building processes. The report says seabird nutrients can support coral communities, while reef organisms produce sand and native plant roots help stabilize sediments. The study focused largely on uninhabited or sparsely populated islands.

The study did not make direct before-and-after comparisons of restoration. It compared islands with differing seabird abundance and rat infestation levels.

The reported analysis found reef accretion potential was twice as high on lagoonal and ocean-facing reefs around rat-free islands with abundant seabirds than around rat-infested islands.

The findings reportedly connect restoration of seabirds and native vegetation with a physical process relevant to low-lying atolls: reef growth and island sediment stability. The researchers cautioned that reef accretion does not necessarily mean an atoll grows vertically, results vary by location, and restoration does not replace emissions cuts or engineering needs on developed atolls.