Story highlights "The human element of this is alarming," scientist Simon Albert says

Study is first to confirm the islands are actually disappearing

(CNN) Rising sea levels that submerge entire islands were supposed to be a distant possibility of an apocalyptic future. But in the idyllic Pacific, that future is here.

Five of the Solomon Islands have completely disappeared under water over the past seven decades, one drawing its last breath as recently as 2011, according to a study published in Environmental Research Letters

Another six islands have lost more than 20% of their surface area, forcing communities to relocate as the shoreline closes in on their homes.

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"The human element of this is alarming. Working alongside people on the frontline who have lost their family home -- that they've had for four to five generations -- it's quite alarming," the study's lead author, Simon Albert of the University of Queensland, told CNN.

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