Treasures of the American Museum of Natural History

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Transcription: Treasure 25, Guano Islands, Diorama. Why are these barren rocks off the coast of Peru teeming with seabirds? The answer begins far to the south in the frigid Antarctic waters where the Humboldt Current originates. As the cold water moves northward against the western coast of South America, nutrient-rich waters come to the surface. They support an enormous amount of plankton, which in turn feeds a huge population of fish and that's what attracts the birds. Because it rarely rains on these islands, the birds' extrement dries into a hard, nitrogen-rich crust. It's called guano and it makes great ...