IIn 1963 volcanologists were able to witness a rare spectacle: an undersea eruption took place that created a new volcanic island off the coast of Iceland. It was called Surtsey after Sutur, the giant of fire in Icelandic mythology. What fascinated the scientists was not the eruption as such but the fact that a new island was formed. It offered them the unique opportunity of studying how a new volcanic island is colonized by plants and animals.
In 1965 Surtsey was declared a nature reserve and scientific research area. Only scientists and the occasional journalist are allowed to go to the island.
What happened after the eruption?
Life settled slowly on the island. The first moss and lichen arrived as soon as 1965 and other plants followed but for a long time there wasn't much else. The first insects weren't found until 1975. A decade later the first seagulls settled and soil conditions improved. It was discovered that seagulls play an important role in the settlement of new islands: they fertilize the ground and carry seeds and microorganisms in their stomachs and feathers.
Did you know?
In 1967 the Swedish Biologist Lindroth made a bet with his colleagues: he believed that plant seeds could float to Surtsey from the neighbouring island of Heimaey. To prove his case he convinced a toy company to give him 10 million plastic beads and had them thrown into the sea at Heimaey. A week later, the beach in Surtsey was covered with yellow plastic beads. A few weeks after that, the first plant from Heimaey sprouted: Lindroth had won his bet.