Aldabra Island, Seychelles Photograph by WWF/ Jeanne Mortimer   Afrotropics Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   100 square miles (200 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Relatively Stable/Intact

· Location and General Description
· Biodiversity Features
· Current Status
· Threats
· Ecoregion Justification
· References
More Photos

Aldabra is the world's largest raised coral atoll with an area of 450 km². Located 1,100 km southwest of the Mahé, the main island of the granitic Seychelles, it is one of the most isolated ecoregions in the world. The best-known endemic species is the Aldabra giant tortoise (Dipsochelys dussumieri). Aldabra supports around 180 species of flowering plants, of which around 20 percent are endemic. It is a critical refuge not only for the giant tortoise but also for 13 endemic bird taxa (2 species and 11 sub-species), including the last flightless bird in the Western Indian Ocean, and also for substantial marine turtle breeding populations and large seabird colonies. Aldabra is recognized as an endemic bird area by BirdLife International (Stattersfield et al. 1998), and since 1982 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location and General Description

Biodiversity Features

Current Status

Types and Severity of Threats

Justification of Ecoregion Delineation

Although Aldabra is part of the Seychelles, it is distinguished by geographical, geological, and biological differences with the granitic Seychelles. Aldabra is the world’s largest raised coral atoll and has an unusually high level of floristic and faunal endemism. It represents one of the only pristine island systems of any significant size anywhere in the world. Further, it is unique in not having a single introduced bird species.

References

For more general information on this ecoregion, go to the WildWorld version of this description.