Of course, when a title is misleading or linkbait, then you should rewrite it (preferably using a representative phrase from the article itself, such as a subtitle).
But in a case like this, for example, the original title "A global assessment of atoll island planform changes over the past decades" is perfectly fine, neither misleading nor clickbait, so that's what the guideline would ask you to use.
I hadn’t realised I was (nearly always) meant to use original titles. It does make sense, thank you for the civil and clear explanation. I’ll take it into account.
From the article: "...88.6% of islands were either stable or increased in area, while only 11.4% contracted...". That is still 1 out of every 10 islands in 2018 that have so far shrunk due to sea-level rise.
"Please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait; don't editorialize." - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Of course, when a title is misleading or linkbait, then you should rewrite it (preferably using a representative phrase from the article itself, such as a subtitle).
But in a case like this, for example, the original title "A global assessment of atoll island planform changes over the past decades" is perfectly fine, neither misleading nor clickbait, so that's what the guideline would ask you to use.
I hope that makes sense!