Effective conservation requires rigorous baselines of pristine conditions to assess the impacts of human activities and to valuate the efficacy of management. The study found that top predators and reef-building organisms dominated unpopulated Kingman and Palmyra, while small planktivorous fishes and fleshy algae dominated the populated atolls of Tabuaeran and Kiritimati.
Tuvalu's shallow marine environments are dominantly fringing and patch reefs. Five of the islands are true coral atolls, with a continuous eroded reef platform surrounding a central lagoon, three islands are comprised of a single islet made up of sand and coral materials (McLean & Hosking, 1991). This article documents the status of corals reefs of Tuvalu, including threats to coral reef biodiversity.