thousands of coral atolls have "drowned" in the past when they were unable to grow fast enough to maintain a presence at sea level
thousands of coral atolls have "drowned" in the past when they were unable to grow fast enough to maintain a presence at sea level
kiribati:195
however, if the increase in sea level occurs at a rate faster than coral growth, or if polyp activity is damaged by ocean acidification, then the resilience of the atolls and reef islands is less certain.