The Archipelago

You'd think life in the tropics would be the same everywhere. Think again.

Life in the tropics has developed in many forms, and everywhere it has found a way to flourish: a young volcano isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean (Mascarene Island), an archipelago made up of ancient volcanoes that are collapsing into the sea (Polynesia), a piece of sunken continent that has risen from the waters (New Caledonia), an island born of the collision of plates in the earth's crust (Guadeloupe) and a very old continental shelf (Guyana). The geological history of each of these environments has given rise to unique and very different forms of life, shaped by the trials and tribulations of their host land. How have animals and plants evolved to adapt to these ecosystems? What strategies have they developed? What alliances have they formed? How do they manage to seduce each other, educate their young, and conquer territories? And how do they live with humans? In each of these ecosystems, a fabulous story takes us to the heart of life and up close to exceptional animals and plants.