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The article discusses a study by geomorphologists Paul Kench at the University of Auckland’s School of Environment in New Zealand and Peter Cowell at the University of Sydney in Australia that suggest the coral reefs that support sandy Pacific islands will rise in tandem with the sea level. Topics include the views of Kiribati president Anote Tong, who believes global warming will annihilate Kiribati as sea levels rise and human factors in the submerged Bikeman islet in the Tarawa Atoll.

The article discusses forecasting of sea-level rise associated with global warming and research results regarding melting of the East Antarctica Ice Sheet (EAIS) that factor into such forecasts. The article discusses 3 studies published in "Nature" and "Nature Geoscience" since 2008 that measured ice loss from the EAIS. Totten Glacier in East Antarctica is noted to be losing up to 1.9 meters of ice thickness annually. Several researchers are cited regarding glacial melting in East Antarctica including marine geologist Maureen Raymo, glaciologist Donald Blankenship, and scientist Fausto Ferraccioli.