What is the only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean?

Rocas Atoll is the only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Rocas Atoll, also called Atol das Rocas, is a remote Brazilian coral atoll about 260 kilometres northeast of Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It formed on the top of a volcanic seamount and consists of a coral ring enclosing a shallow lagoon, with two small islets: Farol Cay and Cemitério Island.

The atoll is uninhabited and is protected within the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve. Its isolation has limited human disturbance, while its shallow waters provide feeding and breeding habitat for turtles, sharks, dolphins, seabirds and other marine life. Access is restricted largely to scientific research.

Rocas Atoll is sometimes confused with Pacific atolls such as Kure or Bikini, which are real atolls but lie in the Pacific Ocean. Aldabra Atoll is another famous alternative, but it is in the Indian Ocean near the Seychelles. Rocas belongs to the Atlantic’s southwestern tropical region and is geographically linked to Brazil’s offshore island environment, including the nearby Fernando de Noronha archipelago. UNESCO recognized it in 2001 for its ecological importance.