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Healthy Islands, Healthy Reefs
Our large-scale island rewilding project, Healthy Islands, Healthy Reefs, is based on scientific research which highlights the links between the health of the islands and their surrounding coral reefs and fish communities.
Rewilding and restoring the Chagos Archipelago’s degraded islands
Our vision
By rewilding 30 rat-infested islands, we aim to vitally increase the amount of nesting seabird habitat by 350%, boosting the survival of seabird populations and supporting thriving coral and fish communities.
Invasive introductions
When the archipelago was first discovered in the 1700s, humans introduced invasive species including rats, and cleared native forest and vegetation for infrastructure and coconut plantations.
Although coconut farming stopped in the 1970s, rats still remain on every previously farmed island.
Our plan
By managing these abandoned coconut plantations and eradicating the rats, our aim is to allow a more natural, seabird-driven ecosystem to regenerate.
This will result in healthier islands and coral reefs, as well as creating a refuge for native species such as the iconic coconut crab and red-footed booby.
How does it work?
In 2018, scientists from the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science（https://www.fondation-bertarelli.org/marine/marine-science/） discovered a direct link between healthy seabird populations on the islands and the health of the surrounding coral reefs.
This is because seabird droppings act as a natural fertiliser for nearby corals reefs. But when rats are present, this relationship breaks down because they decimate seabird populations by eating eggs and chicks, and destroying native plants.
Rodent removal
By removing invasive rat populations on the islands, the ecosystems and their many inhabitants can have the chance to fully flourish. There’s even evidence that with these extra nutrients, thriving and productive reefs may gain some resilience to coral bleaching – one of the biggest threats to the survival of reefs around the world.
Currently, the 11 rat-free islands in the archipelago making up just 7% of the Chagos Islands’ landmass, but they are home to over 90% of its estimated half a million breeding seabirds. By clearing these 30 degraded islands, we can help supercharge the biodiversity of the archipelago’s reefs, building their resilience.
Presence of rats in the Chagos Archipelago © Julia Thorley, CCT, Biodiversity Restoration Ltd
An essential lifeline
Over the past decade, the archipelago has seen two significant episodes of coral bleaching due to extreme sea temperatures, resulting in high levels of coral death and a reduction in how well the reefs function.