Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves

The Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves are peaks made up of ridges found underneath the waters of the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Those ridges form an archipelago, which is 340 kilometers off the Atlantic coast, 42,270 hectares long, and consists of 21 smaller islands. Both reserves are west of Brazil.The Rocas Atoll is the second most important breeding site in Brazil, with thousands of bird species and the waters teeming with fish. The protected waters and many lagoons and tide pools serve as a “natural aquarium” and a breeding zone. Dolphin Bay, like its name, has a huge population of dolphins, and beautiful underwater landscapes. Two of its beaches, Praia do Sancho and Praia do Leão, are known as the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. Shellfish, coral, and many types of fish live in Dolphin Bay. This archipelago is the only place that has an Insular Atlantic Forest, which is a type of forest in South America. The Insular Atlantic Forest is a type of the endangered Atlantic Forest, and this part is found on isolated islands, specifically the Fernando de Noronha Reserve. The two reserves are a huge part of the colonization and reproduction of marine wildlife, and are key for the animals and plants that live there [5].