The resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities to poor environmental and health outcomes is threatened by cumulative anthropogenic pressures. In Kiribati, a developing Pacific Island country where human activities are closely connected with the ocean, both people and environment are particularly vulnerable to coastal pollution. We present a survey of environmental and human health water quality parameters around urban South Tarawa, and an overview of their impacts on the semi-enclosed atoll. Tarawa has significant water quality issues and decisions to guide improvements are hindered by a persistent lack of appropriate and sufficient observations. Our snapshot assessment identifies highest risk locations related to chronic focused and diffuse pollution inputs, and where mixing and dilution with ocean water is restricted. We demonstrate the importance of monitoring in the context of rapidly changing pressures. Our recommendations are relevant to other atoll ecosystems where land-based activities and ocean health are tightly interlinked.

累积的人为压力威胁着沿海生态系统和社区对不良环境和健康结果的适应力。在基里巴斯，一个发展中的太平洋岛国，人类活动与海洋紧密相连，人与环境都特别容易受到沿海污染的影响。我们对南塔拉瓦南部城市周围的环境和人类健康水质参数进行了调查，并概述了它们对半封闭式环礁的影响。塔拉瓦（Tarawa）面临着重大的水质问题，并且由于缺乏适当而充分的观察，阻碍了指导改进的决定。我们的快照评估确定了与长期集中和分散污染输入相关的最高风险位置，以及与海水混合和稀释受到限制的位置。我们证明了在压力迅速变化的背景下进行监控的重要性。我们的建议与陆地活动和海洋健康紧密相关的其他环礁生态系统有关。