Jurgen Freund / Umbrella and other human waste thrown out into the coastal waters, settling on the ground becoming marine life habitat, Moluccas Islands, Indonesia, December 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Relanzón / Pico Viejo volcano (2,909m) viewed from Monta–a Samara at sunset, Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, December 2008

Georgette Douwma / Blue-girdled angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) on the wreck "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943...

Warwick Sloss / Plant {Chrysactinium sp} flowering in volcanic rock Villarica volcano, Chile

Kirkendall-Spring / Ama'u fern (Sadleria cyatheoides) is the first plant to return to a lava field, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. December 2016.

Ashley Cooper / Coconut (Cocos nucifera) sprouting on beach, Fiji.

Cyril Ruoso / Woodland scene from above with Holly (Ilex aquilfolium) colonizing meadow, Alberes Mountains, Pyrenees, France, October 2011.

Cyril Ruoso / Woodland scene from above with Holly (Ilex aquilfolium) the first species to colonize the adjacent meadow, Alberes Mountains, Pyrenees, France, October 2011.

Cyril Ruoso / Holly (Ilex aquilfolium) colonizing meadow adjacent to woodland, Alberes Mountains, Pyrenees, France, March 2011.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Herero woman in traditional dress - influenced by Victorian missionaries, Kaokoland, Namibia. February 2005

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver exploring Viana wreck, the hull is covered with spiral Tube-worm (Sabella spallanzani). Propeller of Viana wreck, a vessel set on fire in the Horta harbour. In attempt to contain the fire,...

Orsolya Haarberg / Birch trees growing on lava formations created by an eruption approximately 2,000 years ago, Dimmuborgir, Iceland, April 2010

Jurgen Freund / Old rubber tyre turned artificial reef, Komodo NP, Indonesia, August 2009

Jurgen Freund / Human rubbish and waste thrown out to the coastal waters, settles on the seabed and becomes part of the marine life habitat, West Papua, Indonesia, December 2009

Jurgen Freund / A discarded dress settling on the seabed becoming a marine life habitat, West Papua, Indonesia

Adrian Davies / Aeonium growing on rope lava formation. Lanzarote, Canary Islands, July.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Geslin / Common daisy {Bellis perennis} flowering through asphalt in the Vatican garden, Rome, Italy

Georgette Douwma / Blue-girdled angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) on the wreck "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943...

Georgette Douwma / Corals adorn the wreck of the "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943. Solomon Islands.

Georgette Douwma / Blue-girdled angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) swimming over the wreck of the "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bomb...

Georgette Douwma / The wreck "Kasi Maru" is a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943. It is overgrown with corals. Solomon Islands.

Nick Garbutt / RF- Germinating seed / seedling of Barringtonia sp. Washed up on beach. Masoala Peninsula, Masoala National Park, Madagascar. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Wild Wonders of Europe / Relanzón / Plant growing in Lava, La Tarta, Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, December 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Relanzón / Canary pines (Pinus canariensis) growing in lava field near Chio, Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, December 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Relanzón / Single Canary pine tree (Pinus canariensis) growing in lava field of the Pico Viejo Volcano, Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, December 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Plant growing on volcanic lava, Floreana Island, Galapagos, January

Georgette Douwma / Corals adorn the wreck of the "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943. Solomon Islands.

Georgette Douwma / Blue-girdled angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) swimming over the wreck of the "Kasi Maru", a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bomb...

Georgette Douwma / The wreck "Kasi Maru" is a Japanese merchant ship sunk in fifty feet of water off Munda in Ironbottom Sound during a World War II bombing raid July 1943. It is overgrown with corals. Solomon Islands.

Philippe Clement / Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) with orange berries in sand dunes, Belgium

Jose B. Ruiz / Fig tree (Ficus carica) growing out of rubble of disused mine building, Riotinto, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) growing amongst rubble, Riotinto, Huelva, Spain

Jack Dykinga / Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla) growing in the Pico Vicente lava flow, Sonoran Desert, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Central America

Adrian Davies / Parsley fern {Cryptogramma crispa} growing in dry stone wall, UK

Geoff Scott-Simpson / Fragrant orchid {Gymnadenia conopsea} growing in disused quarry, Derbyshire, UK

Martin Gabriel / Dandelion in flower (Taraxacum officinale) growing in crevice near building, Bavaria, Germany

James Aldred / Deciduous woodland growing over ruins of pre-roman iron ore mine, Puzzle Wood, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, UK 2006

Gary K. Smith / Derelict farm building, colonised by plants, Norfolk, UK

Pete Oxford / Red mangrove seedling (Rhizophora mangle) growing up through lava, Urbina Bay, Isabela Is, Galapagos

Pete Oxford / Red mangrove seedling (Rhizophora mangle) growing up through lava, Urbina Bay, Isabela Is, Galapagos

Jason Smalley / Barnack Hills and Holes national nature reserve, Cambridgeshire, UK.

Jason Smalley / Barnack Hills and Hollows nature reserve, old quarry re-colonised, Cambridgeshire, UK.

Mark Taylor / Fern growing in old lava flow. Hawaii, USA.

Richard Du Toit / Ferns growing in lava, Piton de la Fornaise, La Reunion, Indian Ocean

Michael Hutchinson / Arctic river beauty {Epilobium latifolium} growing on glacial deposits (Sandur) Iceland

Michael Hutchinson / Plants growing on glacial deposits (Sandur) South Iceland

Tim Edwards / Sand dunes with marram grass colonisation at Newborough Warren nature reserve, Anglesea, Wales

David Kjaer / Sand dunes, Eilean na Rubha, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK