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The Sexy Scents of Tropical Flora: Vanilla, Pineapple and Guava Oh My!

Part four of my ‘Adventures in Biology’ series from my epic travels to French Polynesia is now live. In this episode, we investigate why the island of Moorea ‘smells like sex’.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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Part four of my 'Adventures in Biology' series from my epic travels to French Polynesia is now live. In this episode, we investigate why the island of Moorea 'smells like sex'. It's basically due to the warm humid air mixing with the wonderful tropical aromas of orchids, fruits and other flora. We get down and dirty with a local pineapple farmer, and sample some of the islands' home made fruit liqueurs. Let's face it: the aquatic fauna of a tropical island generally gets most of the attention - so this video is my homage to all of the wonderful plants there as well!

Carin Bondar is a biologist, writer and film-maker with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. Find Dr. Bondar online at www.carinbondar.com, on twitter @drbondar or on her facebook page: Dr. Carin Bondar – Biologist With a Twist.

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