St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks, Brazil Photograph by Associação Brasileira de Radioexpedicionários   Islands in the Atlantic Ocean about halfway between South America and Africa Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   50 square miles (100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Relatively Stable/Intact

· Up from the Ocean Floor
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Up from the Ocean Floor

If you were to sail to Brazil from the coast of west Africa, you would spend many days without seeing land – except for a few small rocky islands in the middle of the sea. Known as St. Peter and St. Paul’s Rocks, this is one of the few places on Earth where an underwater oceanic ridge breaks through the surface of the sea.

Special Features

The mid-oceanic ridge of the Atlantic Ocean is one of the world’s longest mountain chains. Along the ridge, the Earth’s crust is pulling apart, and new ocean floor is being created. All along the ridge there are underwater volcanoes and lava flows. In some areas, such as St. Peter and St. Paul’s Rocks and Iceland, the ridge is so high that it forms islands. The only source of freshwater on the St. Peter and St. Paul’s Rocks is from rain. There is almost no vegetation on the islands.

	Brown boobies usually forage for food not far from shore. These chocolate brown birds catch their prey by plunging head-first into the water from the air.

Wild Side

Seabirds constitute the only vertebrate wildlife found on the islands. The brown booby is the only breeding seabird to occupy the rocks. Some crab species can be seen venturing out of the water and feeding on seaweed.

Cause for Concern

Scientists and military personnel are the only human inhabitants of these islands and pose very few direct threats.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.