I read something recently... I can't find the exact reference I read but here is something similar.
Lifted from http://omniclimate.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/coral-atolls-and-sea-level-rise/
When the sea falls, more sand tumbles from the high part, and more of the atoll is exposed to wind erosion. The atoll falls along with the sea level. When the sea level rises, wind erosion decreases. The coral grows up along with the sea level rise. The flow of sand and rubble onto the atoll continues, and the atoll rises. Since atolls go up and down with the sea level, the idea that they will be buried by sea level rises is totally unfounded. They have gone through sea level rises much larger and much faster than the current one.
And having been to Kiribati (1997/1998) a high tide and a breeze inundated some places.
