Nasa scientists were left baffled by “mysterious” flora and fauna upon arrival on one of the worlds “newest islands” in October last year, according to a blog post detailing their findings.
The volcanic island appeared in the ocean surrounding Tonga three years ago, and is one of only three new islands to emerge in the last 150 years that has survived more than a few months.
According to the post, the island, which emerged from an underwater volcano, was covered in a sticky type of gravel and was already host to low-lying vegetation and bird species - something which is almost unheard of for islands of its age.