中文导读

环礁岛是印度洋和太平洋上由珊瑚礁围成的低矮小岛，很多只高出海面一到三米，因此常被看作海平面上升的“前线”。10月14日发表在《科学进展》上的一项研究却给出了一个相对积极的发现：海鸟和本土树木可能帮助这些小岛“自我维护”。海鸟在远海觅食，把富含营养的粪便带回岛上，其中一部分又流入周围海水，让珊瑚长得更快；鹦嘴鱼等鱼类把礁石变成沙子，本土植物的细根则把沙土固定住。问题在于，过去几个世纪随船而来的老鼠大量捕杀海鸟，许多岛上的本土森林也被椰子种植园取代。研究团队比较了28座岛屿，发现无鼠、海鸟多的岛屿周围，礁体生长和沉积物产量都明显更高，并估计在升温2摄氏度的情景下，礁体生长或可跟上到本世纪末的海平面上升。不过，研究者也提醒，这并不是“万能解法”：研究比较的是不同岛屿，而不是同一座岛恢复前后的变化。文章按“问题—证据—局限”展开，阅读时可留意 But、According to、However、Instead 等词如何引出转折、证据来源和限定。

正文

Many atoll islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans rise only one to three meters above the sea, so rising sea levels are a serious threat to them. But a new study suggests that these low islands may have two helpers: seabirds and native trees. The research, led by scientists at Lancaster University in England, was published in the journal Science Advances on October 14.

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印度洋和太平洋上的许多环礁岛只高出海面一到三米，因此海平面上升对它们构成严重威胁。但一项新研究表明，这些低矮的岛屿可能有两个帮手：海鸟和本土树木。这项研究由英格兰兰卡斯特大学的科学家牵头，于10月14日发表在《科学进展》期刊上。

Atoll islands are not simply piles of sand. Living things build and maintain them. Corals and other ocean life form reefs that break incoming waves. Fish such as parrotfish turn pieces of reef into sand, and plants hold that sand together. Seabirds add energy to this system. They feed in the open ocean and then leave droppings full of nutrients on land, and some of these nutrients wash into the water around the islands.

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环礁岛并不只是一堆堆沙子。是生物在建造和维护它们。珊瑚和其他海洋生物形成礁石，挡住涌来的海浪。鹦嘴鱼等鱼类把礁石碎块变成沙子，植物则把这些沙子固定在一起。海鸟为这个系统增添能量。它们在远海觅食，然后把富含营养的粪便留在陆地上，其中一部分营养又被冲进岛屿周围的海水里。

The problem is rats. In past centuries, rats arrived on many islands as hidden passengers on boats, and they killed huge numbers of seabirds. Many atolls have also lost their native forests. According to the researchers, coconut plantations now cover about 60 percent of Pacific atoll forests.

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问题出在老鼠身上。在过去几个世纪里，老鼠作为藏在船上的“乘客”来到许多岛屿，杀死了大量海鸟。许多环礁也失去了本土森林。据研究人员介绍，如今椰子种植园覆盖了太平洋环礁森林的约60%。

The team combined data from 28 islands in the Seychelles, the Chagos Archipelago and Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. Near rat-free islands with many seabirds, corals grew faster. The study estimated that reef growth there was 1.8 to 2.5 times greater than near islands with rats. These reefs also produced 2.3 to 2.8 times as much sediment, the sand-like material that keeps islands in shape. On land, areas where more than 75 percent of the plants were native had 4.6 times more fine roots, which bind the soil and reduce damage from storms.

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研究团队汇总了塞舌尔、查戈斯群岛和法属波利尼西亚蒂阿罗阿环礁共28座岛屿的数据。在无鼠且海鸟众多的岛屿附近，珊瑚长得更快。研究估计，那里的礁体生长量是有鼠岛屿附近的1.8至2.5倍。这些礁石产生的沉积物也多出2.3至2.8倍；沉积物是一种类似沙子的物质，能让岛屿保持形状。在陆地上，本土植物占比超过75%的区域细根数量是其他区域的4.6倍，这些细根能固定土壤，减少风暴造成的破坏。

According to the study, this extra reef growth could be fast enough to keep up with the sea-level rise expected by 2100 if global warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius. Co-author Casey Benkwitt of The Nature Conservancy told Mongabay that the findings change the usual story of atolls as helpless victims of climate change.

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研究认为，如果全球升温被限制在2摄氏度以内，这些额外的礁体生长可能足以跟上预计到2100年的海平面上升。合著者、大自然保护协会的凯西·本克维特对 Mongabay 表示，这些发现改变了人们通常把环礁视为气候变化无助受害者的说法。

However, the result is not a miracle solution. Inside Climate News reported that lead author Nick Graham warned against that view. The study did not compare the same islands before and after restoration. Instead, it compared different islands with different numbers of birds and rats. Crowded islands may still need sea walls and other engineering work. But for the many small islands where few or no people live, Graham says removing rats and planting native trees could be a cheaper choice.

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不过，这一结果并不是万能的解决办法。Inside Climate News 报道称，第一作者尼克·格雷厄姆提醒人们不要有这种看法。这项研究并没有比较同一批岛屿在恢复前后的情况，而是比较了鸟类和老鼠数量各不相同的不同岛屿。人口密集的岛屿可能仍需要海堤和其他工程措施。但格雷厄姆说，对于许多人烟稀少或无人居住的小岛来说，清除老鼠、种植本土树木可能是一种更省钱的选择。

新闻来源

• Lancaster University · Culling rats and restoring native vegetation – how rewilding tropical atolls could help them keep pace with rising sea-levels (14 Oct 2026)
• Science Advances · Seabirds and native vegetation drive ecosystem processes that support atoll island resilience (14 Oct 2026)
• Mongabay · Seabird guano and native trees keep islands above rising seas: Study (21 Oct 2026)
• Inside Climate News · How Rewilding Could Help Atoll Islands Keep Pace With Rising Seas (14 Oct 2026)

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