The Economic Times

In the 1700s, a shipwreck brought hundreds of rats to an Alaskan island. 11 years after scientists removed them in 2008, seabirds returned and the ecosystem was recovered

Alaska's Hawadax Island, once known as Rat Island, is witnessing a remarkable ecological recovery after scientists eradicated invasive rats in 2008. The rodents arrived after an 18th-century shipwreck and disrupted the island's natural food chain for centuries. Eleven years after their removal, native seabirds returned, shoreline grazers declined and kelp began thriving again. Researchers say the long-term recovery highlights how removing invasive species can restore damaged island ecosystems.