Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago
 Brazilian Navy scientific station and lighthouse of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 00°55′1″N 29°20′45″W / 0.91694°N 29.34583°W |
| Archipelago | Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo |
| Total islands | 15[1] |
| Major islands | Belmonte, Challenger, Nordeste, Cabral, South |
| Area | 15,000 m2 (160,000 sq ft)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 17 m (56 ft)[1] |
| Administration | |
Brazil | |
| Region | Northeast |
| State | Pernambuco |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 4[2] |
| Additional information | |
| Official website | www |
The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (Portuguese: Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo [ɐʁkiˈpɛlɐgu dʒi sɐ̃w ˈpedɾw‿i sɐ̃w ˈpawlu]) is a group of 15 small islets and rocks in the central Atlantic Ocean.[3] It is near the equator, in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. This part of the Atlantic usually has low winds, but sometimes has thunderstorms.
The archipelago is about 510 nmi (940 km; 590 mi) from the nearest point of mainland South America (the town of Touros, on the northeast Brazilian coast). It is about 625 km (388 mi) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha islands, 990 km (620 mi) from the city of Natal, and 1,824 km (1,133 mi) from the west coast of Africa. The islets belong to Brazil. They are part of the special "state district" (Portuguese: distrito estadual) of Fernando de Noronha, in the state of Pernambuco. Fernando de Noronha is the nearest island.
In total, the archipelago covers an area of about 300 metres (980 ft) by 100 metres (330 ft).
There is a lighthouse, and a research station, with four people. There is no freshwater supply on the islands, so the research station has a water desalination plant.
Biology[change | change source]
Only the largest islet, Belmonte, has mosses and grasses on it. The other rocks are mostly barren, except for some sea algae and fungi that can tolerate the salt spray. Seabirds, including the brown booby (Sula leucogaster), brown noddy (Anous stolidus), and black noddy (Anous minutus), as well as crabs (Grapsus grapsus), insects, and spiders live on the rocks.[4]
The islands are home to over 100 reef fishes. About 10% of them are found nowhere else in the world, including the very colorful Tosanoides aphrodite.[5][6]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Scientific Station of São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago Archived 2013-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Alvarez, Cristina; Melo, Julio; Mello, Roberto L. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ↑ "St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks". One Earth. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ The scientific station of São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago - Brazil Archived 2013-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Alvarez, Cristina E., Melo, Julio E., Mello, Roberto L. Retrieved on June 6, 2009.
- ↑ Série de reportagens sobre o arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo e as ilhas de Trindade e Martim Vaz Archived 2009-12-01 at the Wayback Machine O Globo. Retrieved on 2009-07-16. (in Portuguese)
- ↑ Feitoza, Bertran M; Rocha, Luiz A.; Luiz-Junior, Osmar J.; Floeter, Sergio R.; Gasparini, Joao L. (May 2003). "Reef fishes of St. Paul's Rocks: new records and notes on biology and zoogeography" (PDF). Aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology. 7 (3): 1–22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ↑ Pinheiro, Hudson T.; Macena, Bruno C. L.; Francini‐Filho, Ronaldo B.; Ferreira, Carlos E. L.; Albuquerque, Fernanda V.; Bezerra, Natalia P. A.; Carvalho‐Filho, Alfredo; Ferreira, Romulo C. P.; Luiz, Osmar J.; Mello, Thayna J.; Mendonça, Sibele A. (2020). "Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paulʼs Archipelago, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Brazil: new records and a species database". Journal of Fish Biology. 97 (4): 1143–1153. doi:10.1111/jfb.14484. ISSN 1095-8649. PMID 32743800. S2CID 220942252.