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 11 sea-dispersed DHJanzen101224.jpg high resolution
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| Here a sea-dispersed coconut (Cocos nucifera) floats in the open sea off the coast of Costa Rica. Behind it just above the beach are naturally planted wild adult coconuts, and it is tempting to think that this coconut might be one of their offspring. However, a sea-born coconut could be from as far as thousands of kilometers away. In effect, the entire ocean is a thin sheet of dispersing coconuts, and back beaches above the high tide line - be they on islands or the mainland - are their habitat. BUT, there is a difference between being on an island and being on the mainland (see below). | ||
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