The seabirds are fertilising the reef: Palmyra's quiet lesson in how to heal coral

Some of the healthiest coral reefs on Earth sit in the remote Pacific — and part of their secret flies. Reporting for NPR from Palmyra Atoll, Lauren Sommer describes what scientists are piecing together: seabirds nesting on islands feed at sea, then return and deposit nutrient-rich droppings on land; rain washes those nutrients into the shallows, where they feed the reef's algae and, through them, the corals. Reefs beside islands rich in seabirds are thriving in ways neighbouring reefs are not — a living demonstration that a reef's health is tied to the wildlife of the island above the waterline. The lesson travels: restoring island ecosystems — bringing back seabirds and the native habitat they need — may be one of the most practical levers conservation has for helping reefs endure a warming ocean.

SDG 14 · Life below water