Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve


Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve is a biological reserve in Brazil.
The reserve is located on the Rocas Atoll, an atoll 144 miles north east of the Brazilian coast.
It was created in 1979 to protect nesting sea turtles and migratory seabirds.

Location

The Rocas Atoll is north east from the coast of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte in north east Brazil, and is the only atoll in the South-western Atlantic.
The coral atoll is built on the upper, western part of the flat top of a volcanic seamount on the north east part of the Brazilian continental margin.
The seamount rises to a depth of below the surface.
The distance from the reef to the edge of the top of the seamount is about to the west, to the north west and to the east.
The sediment in the lagoon and surrounding the atoll is mostly coarse sand, much of which originates from the corals and mollusc shells.
The reef has the shape of an ellipse with its axis running east–west, and is about.
There are two small islands inside the lagoon.
Ilha do Farol covers and Ilha do Cemitério covers.
The highest point is above sea level.
The reserve covers.
It was created on 5 June 1979 and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.

Environment

Rainfall is annually.
Air temperatures vary from, with an average of.
Water temperature is very stable at.
The islands are remote and have not been affected much by human activity.
An estimated 143,000 birds use the atoll, mainly masked booby, brown booby, brown noddy, black noddy and sooty tern.

Conservation

The Biological Reserve is a "strict nature reserve" under IUCN protected area category Ia.
The objectives are full preservation of biota and other natural attributes without direct human interference or environmental changes, except for recovery of altered ecosystems and actions needed to restore and preserve the natural balance, biological diversity and natural ecological processes.
Protected species include the loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, green sea turtle, red-billed tropicbird, white-tailed tropicbird, the crabs Johngarthia lagostoma and Percnon gibbesi, the starfish Echinaster guyanensis, lemon shark, sea ginger and the coral Phyllogorgia dilatata.
The reserve has been nominated as a World Heritage Site.