Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

An island of mussel shells: Fiji's 1200-year-old “fast food” reef

SBS German

Follow and Subscribe

Midden Copyright Patrick Nunn.jpg

Crabs brought material to the surface from a depth of 20 to 30 centimeters below the ground, forming mounds like this one. This proves that the shell deposits were not merely superficial. Credit: Patrick Nunn

The island kingdom of Fiji is a tiny island that hardly anyone knows and which consists almost entirely of mussel shells. Researchers have discovered that it was created by humans 1200 years ago — as a by-product of their daily meals.

Follow and Subscribe

Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Download (5.76MB)
Download the SBS Audio appAvailable on iOS and Android

Published

By Barbara Barkhausen

Source: SBS

Share this with family and friends

The island kingdom of Fiji is a tiny island that hardly anyone knows and which consists almost entirely of mussel shells. Researchers have discovered that it was created by humans 1200 years ago — as a by-product of their daily meals.

For more stories, interviews and news from SBS German, explore our podcast collection here.

Latest podcast episodes

Follow SBS German

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

German News

Watch it onDemand

Watch now