Some of Australia’s strategically important coral islands at great risk of vanishing, study finds

The study assessed factors such as how susceptible the islands were to storms, sea level rise and marine heatwaves, which can kill the coral reefs that keep the islands stable. Photograph: Marnie Griffiths/Getty Images

More than a dozen of Australia’s coral islands that help to extend the country’s maritime jurisdiction are at high risk of disappearing because of climate change, according to a study.

The fate of the low-lying islands now “hangs in the balance”, said the scientist who led the study, with rising sea levels, marine heatwaves, intensifying weather systems and ocean acidification compounding the risk.