Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42873883›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

Seabirds and native vegetation drive ecosystem processes that support atoll island resilience.

Nicholas A J Graham, Cassandra E Benkwitt, Ines D Lange, Chris T Perry, Eleanor R Thomson, Lisa M Wedding, Ruth E Dunn, Sebastian Steibl, Courtney E Stuart, Laura-Li Jeannot and 15 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Rewilding the atoll engine.Science advances · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

25 authors.

Nicholas A J GrahamLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0304-7467
Cassandra E BenkwittLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6756-7958
Ines D LangeGeography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9888-2694
Chris T PerryGeography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9398-2418
Eleanor R ThomsonSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1670-8970
Lisa M WeddingSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3782-915X
Ruth E DunnLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0927-2734
Sebastian SteiblSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0003-4819-8581
Courtney E StuartSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2819-2887
Laura-Li JeannotLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1999-7563
Jennifer AppooUMR ENTROPIE, Université de La Réunion, La Réunion, France.ORCID 0000-0002-3980-9435
Julia Rodriguez FillolGeography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4114-4345
Marleen StuhrLeibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Fahrenheitstraße 6, Bremen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9155-9464
Pirta PalolaSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5574-0776
Peter CarrChagos Conservation Trust, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4400-6653
Jayna L DeVoreTetiaroa Society, Teti'aroa, French Polynesia.ORCID 0000-0002-6697-9165
Simon DucatezIRD, ILM, IFREMER, UPF, UMR SECOPOL, Campus d'Outumaoro, Punaauia, Tahiti, French Polynesia.ORCID 0000-0003-2865-4674
Anna ZoraFrégate Island Foundation, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Seychelles.
Ayla K HastingsFrégate Island Foundation, Roche Caiman, Mahé, Seychelles.
Solène Fabre BarrosoFenua Ecologie, 98702 Faaa Centre, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Sean EvansCousine Island Conservation, Cousine Island, Seychelles.ORCID 0000-0002-6860-7402
Melissa SchulzeCousine Island Conservation, Cousine Island, Seychelles.
Emma CottonIsland Conservation Society, Pointe Larue, Mahé, Seychelles.ORCID 0009-0004-0991-9432
Hazel ReddingtonSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0009-0009-6942-1376
Yadvinder MalhiSchool of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3503-4783

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ecosystem restoration is expected to enhance ecosystem resilience to climate change, but few empirical and mechanistic demonstrations of such assertions exist. Here, we explore this topic for tropical atoll systems, combining science on nutrient subsidies and geo-ecological functions through a unifying ecological energetics lens. We show that native forest cover and seabird nutrient inputs increase primary productivity and secondary metabolism on islands and adjacent coral reefs, scaling with key ecosystem processes. We then demonstrate that seabird and native forest restoration could contribute to reducing island climate change vulnerability by (i) increasing reef accretion rates such that they keep pace with sea-level rise under a 2.0°C warming scenario, (ii) enhancing the production rate of sediment, which could contribute to island maintenance, and (iii) increasing vegetation fine root length, aiding island sediment stabilization. Collectively, our findings provide an integrated energetics and geo-ecological perspective that suggests rewilding of atolls can contribute to climate resilience.

Indexed as

BirdsEcosystemIslandsAnimalsClimate ChangeCoral ReefsForests

Identifiers

PMID42873883
PMCPMC13665944

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.