Almost all animal castaways would have died of exposure hunger or thirst
Long before reaching French Polynesia in the eastern Pacific
远在到达东太平洋的法属波利尼西亚之前
Reaching land here was a matter of extraordinary luck
在此地存活登陆,实属非凡幸运
Unlike Fiji
与斐济不同
There are no bats in French Polynesia no frogs and only a handful of lizards
法属波利尼西亚没有蝙蝠没有青蛙只有少数蜥蜴
The most successful travellers were the long-haul fliers
最成功的旅者如同长程飞翔的飞鸟
Sooty terns
黑燕鸥
Incredibly
难以置信地
They can stay in the air for four years without landing
它们能连续四年翱翔不落地
But to breed they must return to nesting sites on remote islands
但为了繁殖它们必须回到偏远岛屿的营巢地
And when they do
当他们动手时
They introduce new life
它们带来新的生命
Sticky or barbed seeds fasten on to their feathers
黏性或带刺的种子粘附在它们的羽毛上
And hitch rides across oceans
乘着气流跨海旅行
On some islands 75 of plants arrived with the birds
在某些岛屿上,有75种植物随鸟类而来
Seeds are even carried in the stomachs of some birds
种子甚至被一些鸟类吞噬后,通过它们的胃囊携带传播。
As if getting a lift wasn't enough for these seeds
仿佛得到一次电梯还不足以承载这些种子
Seabirds also provide them with something else
海鸟也为它们提供了其他东西
The seafood these birds bring back to the islands
鸟儿把海产品带回岛上
Is turned into nutrient-rich guano
化作营养丰富的鸟粪
Plant fertiliser
植物肥料
And there's enough of it to transform barren coral atolls into fertile groves
足够将荒芜的珊瑚环礁变成肥沃的树林