21 Jun 2023

Kiribati coral reefs show recovery signs after weather impact

From , 6:01 am on 21 June 2023
Coral reefs near Enderbury Island in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.

Phoenix Islands Protected Area Photo: Supplied/ Dr Randi Rotjan - CCBY-SA3.0

Coral reefs in the Southern Line Islands in Kiribati are bouncing back well after being decimated in a El Nino warming event between 2015 and 2016.

National Geographic's Pristine Seas team visited the site, located just south of the equator, in 2021 and re-vistied last month, on the first stop of a five year Pacific expedition. 

Dr Alan Friedlander, who was the Chief Scientist on board, speaks to RNZ Pacific's Caleb Fotheringham about what he's seen.