Lagoon islets as indicators of recent environmental changes in the South Pacific – The New Caledonian example

Nineteen percent of the 21 lagoon islets studied in New Caledonia are in a highly critical state, likely to disappear within the next few years due to climate change and environmental degradation. Researchers developed a typology of islet stages and a life expectancy index to assess their vulnerability, revealing that sea level rise, reef ecosystem degradation, sediment loss, human activity, and coastal development collectively threaten these fragile indicators of environmental and climatic change in the South Pacific.

Garcin, M., Vendé-Leclerc, M., Maurizot, P., Le Cozannet, G., Robineau, B., & Nicolae-Lerma, A. (2016). Lagoon islets as indicators of recent environmental changes in the South Pacific – The New Caledonian example. Continental Shelf Research, 122, 120–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2016.03.025