Scoglio d'Africa


The Scoglio d'Africa also named Formica di Monte Cristo, is a solitary small skerry belonging to the Tuscan Archipelago located in open sea between Tyrrhenian Sea and Corsica Channel. It is located west of the Island of Montecristo, south of Pianosa Island and east of Corsica. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Campo nell'Elba. It is also part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

Description

Regarding its size and its shape, it can be considered to all effects an emergent rock in a stretch of shallow sea. It has a rounded contour with the diameter of, an area of and an altitude of only above sea level depending from the tides and the waves.
Geologically the skerry belongs to a submarine ridge starting few miles east of Capraia and it extends toward south up to reach Pianosa.
The ridge is lying at an average depth of but it decreases in proximity of the island to arrive at. The depths in the region among the skerry and Montecristo reach.

Fauna

The seabed around the rock is composed by two types of biocoenosis; the first is formed by algae, bryozoa and polychaetes that form a structure rich in cavities; the second is formed by prairies of Posidonia.