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Earlier this year a volcanic eruption began forming a new island in Tonga and it’s fairly substantial in size, considering how little time it took to form. At almost a mile long and half a mile wide, this virgin island is now visitable since the eruption has died down, and already colonization of the land has begun by seabirds, and a large enclosed lagoon is also present.
It may be some time before the island is fully safe for terrestrial and aquatic creatures to fully take hold as the soil is still very acidic, and plenty of these chemicals are flowing into the sea changing the chemistry to the point of being toxic to marine life. In the meantime, it is exciting to imagine that researchers will be chronicling and documenting the development of life on the island both above, and below the water.
Once the coast is clear for corals and other benthic life to grow, it will be fascinating to learn what corals arrive first, and what subsequent reef creatures will be calling this new unnamed island their home. [ABC]
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Click here to read the article...
It may be some time before the island is fully safe for terrestrial and aquatic creatures to fully take hold as the soil is still very acidic, and plenty of these chemicals are flowing into the sea changing the chemistry to the point of being toxic to marine life. In the meantime, it is exciting to imagine that researchers will be chronicling and documenting the development of life on the island both above, and below the water.
Once the coast is clear for corals and other benthic life to grow, it will be fascinating to learn what corals arrive first, and what subsequent reef creatures will be calling this new unnamed island their home. [ABC]
Readers also viewed:
- Devil Clam with psychedelic mantle pattern collected in Tonga
- Up close with the mythical Devil Clam, Tridacna mbalavuana
- Marine Life of Fiji and Tonga is the ultimate video for reef life identification
- Fresh crop of Jawbreaker mushrooms harvested from TONGA!
- Pomacentrus maafu is Tonga and Fiji’s newest species of damselfish
- HD dive videos of Fiji and Tonga are spectacular
- Cirrhilabrus nahackyi is a new species of labrid similar to the hooded fairy wrasse
Click here to read the article...