Birds, not wind, brought life to Iceland’s youngest island

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.