New Islands Formed in the Past 20 Years

Norderoogsand

In 2003, researchers noticed a small sandbank growing 16 miles off the German coast in the North Sea. Within 10 years it had emerged as a full-fledged, 34-acre island, already home to 50 different plant species and several types of birds, including grey geese and peregrine falcons. The fledgling island, Norderoogsand, is unusual because most sandbanks in the shallow North Sea coastal waters fail to survive the ferocious winter storms. An article in The Telegraph warns that a superstorm could yet wipe away Norderoogsand.