Inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites since 2001,
this location covers the Fernando de Noronha National Marine
Park (FNNMP) and the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve. Situated
on the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge, the Rocas Atoll is one
of the smallest in the world, and the only one existing in the
Southern Atlantic Ocean. The FNNMP is characterised by high
cliffs alternating with sandy beaches. There are fewer than 10
island sites in the South Atlantic, and this location represents
over 50% of the total island surface of this entire marine
region. Oceanic islands play a key role in the reproduction and
dispersal of marine organisms and serve as a staging-post
enabling species to colonise other coastal regions and the
surrounding seas. The spectacle offered here by the ebb and flow
of the tides is truly exceptional. At high tide only two sandy
islands and a handful of rock formations emerge from the waters.
At low tide the scenery changes radically; the entire island’s
surrounding reef is e