Birds, not wind, brought life to Iceland’s youngest island
Surtsey’s colonization story rewrites what scientists thought they knew about how plants travel. Birds, not seed traits, proved to be the real architects of new ecosystems.
- Date:
- November 4, 2025
- Source:
- Náttúrufræðistofnun
- Summary:
- When Surtsey erupted from the sea in 1963, it became a living experiment in how life begins anew. Decades later, scientists discovered that the plants colonizing this young island weren’t carried by the wind or floating on ocean currents, but delivered by birds — gulls, geese, and shorebirds serving as winged gardeners. Their findings overturn long-held beliefs about seed dispersal and reveal how deeply interconnected life truly is.
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When the volcanic island of Surtsey emerged from the North Atlantic Ocean in 1963, it presented scientists with a rare natural experiment: a chance to watch life begin on untouched land. For many years, ecologists assumed that plants reached remote islands mainly through special traits that allowed long-distance travel, such as fruits that attract birds to eat and later disperse their seeds. Species with these traits were thought to hold a clear advantage in colonizing new and isolated environments.
A recent study in Ecology Letters has upended this long-accepted theory. Researchers from Iceland, Hungary, and Spain discovered that most of the 78 vascular plant species found on Surtsey since 1965 lack any of the typical features linked to long-distance seed dispersal. Instead, the main agents of colonization appear to be gulls, geese, and shorebirds, which carried seeds in their digestive systems or droppings. Through their movements, these birds transported a surprising diversity of plants to the island, helping form the base of its young and growing ecosystem.
Birds as Unexpected Architects of Life
"Birds turned out to be the true pioneers of Surtsey -- carrying seeds of plants that, according to conventional theories, shouldn't be able to get there," explains Dr. Pawel Wasowicz of the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, one of the study's authors. "These results overturn traditional assumptions about plant colonisation and show that to understand how life spreads and responds to environmental change, we must look at the interactions between plants and animals. Life does not move in isolation -- it follows life."
Dr. Andy Green of the Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC, Spain), who co-led the research, notes that the findings have wide-reaching implications for ecology and conservation. "Animals -- especially birds -- are key drivers of plant dispersal and colonization. As migration routes shift under a warming climate, birds will play a vital role in helping plants move and adapt to new environments."
A Living Laboratory for Evolution and Ecology
The research highlights Surtsey's extraordinary value as a living laboratory where scientists can directly observe the earliest stages of ecosystem development and adaptation. The island continues to provide insight into how life establishes itself, evolves, and reacts to a changing world. The authors suggest that future ecological models should place greater emphasis on real biological interactions, not just the physical traits of seeds or the classifications of plant species.
"Long-term research like that carried out on Surtsey is invaluable for biology," says Dr. Wasowicz. "It allows us to witness ecological processes that would otherwise remain invisible -- how life colonizes, evolves, and adapts. Such work is essential for understanding the future of ecosystems in a rapidly changing world."
Story Source:
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Journal Reference:
- Pawel Wasowicz, Ádám Lovas‐Kiss, Nándor Szabó, Andy J. Green. Putative ‘Dispersal Adaptations’ Do Not Explain the Colonisation of a Volcanic Island by Vascular Plants, but Birds Can. Ecology Letters, 2025; 28 (10) DOI: 10.1111/ele.70234
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