Eloise Gibson writes in the New Zealand Herald about a study of Pacific Islands over the last few decades which shows that they may be able to combat sea level rise by getting bigger themselves.
An Auckland University researchers, Paul Kench, says that many Pacific islands appear to be able to accumulate the debris from coral reefs, allowing them to stay above the waters.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Paul Kench of Auckland University’s School of Environment, who co-authored the study with Fiji’s Arthur Webb, said the study suggested the islands had a natural ability to respond to rising seas by accumulating coral debris from the reefs that typically surround them.
“”It has long been thought that as the sea level goes up, islands will sit there and drown. But they won’t,” he said in an article published today in New Scientist magazine.
“The study offers hope to thousands of low-lying Pacific islands, whose fate has been one of the most pressing issues for policy-makers dealing with the ramifications of climate change.