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Aldabra Atoll

Seychelles

Aldabra Atoll is a large raised atoll with an area of 155 km2, located in the Western Indian Ocean. It is situated 1150 km southwest of Victoria (the capital of the Seychelles on the island of Mahe) and 420 km north of Madagascar. Aldabra has been described as 'one of the wonders of the world' by Sir David Attenborough as its isolation in a remote area of the Indian Ocean, combined with an inhospitable terrestrial environment, has helped preserve it in a relatively natural state. Increasing levels of stress from human activities are contributing to the decline of the worlds coral reefs, but Aldabra has so far escaped the worst of these stresses and provides an ideal natural laboratory for studying tropical marine ecosystems and related environments, such as seagrass and mangroves.