Rocas Atoll

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Atol das Rocas Reserves


State Party = BRA
Type = Natural
Criteria = vii, ix, x
ID = 1000
Region = Latin America and the Caribbean
Year = 2001
Session = 25th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1000

Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas) is an atoll in the Atlantic Ocean at location coord|03|52|S|33|49|W|region:BR-RN_type:isle. It is part of Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. It's of volcanic origin and coralline formation.

The oval atoll is 3.7 km (2.3 miles) long and 2.5 km (1.6 miles) wide. The lagoon is up to 6 m (20 ft) deep and has an area of 7.1 km² (2.7 sq mi). The land area of the two islets (Cemitério Island, southwest and Farol Cay, northwest) is 0.36 km² (89 acres). Farol Cay accounts for almost two thirds of the aggregate area. The highest point is a sand dune in the south of larger Farol Cay, with a height of 6 m (20 ft). Both islets are overgrown with grasses, bushes and a few palm trees. There are crabs, spiders, scorpions, sand fleas, beetles, large roaches, and many species of birds.

There is a lighthouse of the Brazilian coast guard that has been in operation and maintained since the 1960s, at the Northern end of Farol Cay. In its vicinity is a derelict lighthouse from 1933.

The atoll is a wildlife sanctuary, and in 2001 was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site . Numerous turtles, sharks, dolphins and birds live in the area. The atoll consists mainly of coral and red algae. The coral ring is almost closed, with a 200 m (660 ft) wide channel on the North side and a much narrower channel on the West side.

A biological reserve, it is currently used solely for scientific research. Due to their remote location, the islands remain largely undisturbed by the human activities. On the other hand, it also limits the research's access to the islands and few studies have been developed in this atoll. The Entomological fauna from Atol das Rocas was already recorded. [Almeida CE, Marchon-Silva V V, Ribeiro R, Serpa-Filho A, Almeida JR, Costa J. 2000. Entomological fauna from Reserva Biológica do Atol das Rocas, RN, Brazil: I. Morphospecies composition. Rev Bras Biol. 60(2):291-298.]

ee also

Atoll

PBS showed a documentary on this atoll in April 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.unb.br/ig/sigep/sitio033/sitio033english.htm Sigep - Brazilian Commission of Geological and Palaeobiological Sites] ("English"/"Portuguese") detailed description, with maps and pictures]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=1000 UNESCO - World Heritage] (English)
* [http://www.425dxn.org/dc3mf/a_t_r.html Further information (German)]

PBS showed a documentary on this atoll in April 2008.