Palau removed invasive rats; a year later, fish biomass rose 183% and leaf nitrogen jumped 80%

Data from Ulong Island, Koror Republic of Palau shows that seabirds are returning (Representational AP photo) The return of seabirds to a small island in Palau has brought an unexpected benefit. Just one year after invasive rats were removed from Ulong Island, researchers have found that nearby coral reefs are also beginning to recover.The study is the first experimental research to show that when seabirds return after invasive rodents are removed, they help move nutrients from land into the sea. The process is already supporting reef ecosystems and increasing fish populations much sooner than expected.According to Island Conservation, the research was carried out on Ulong Island in the Republic of Palau, an island nation in Western Pacific Ocean, as part of the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC). Scientists from Island Conservation and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego monitored the island before and after the rat removal.They tracked changes in seabirds, nutrients, reef fish and other marine life while comparing the results with a nearby island, Ngeruktabel, where invasive rats remain.The findings suggest that restoring island...