Falsa Barreta

Falsa Barreta, in Atol das Rocas, is an "open" pool: it sits on the edge of the reef ring and connects directly to the open sea, though through a narrow link.

In 1999, 12 sponge species were recorded in the pool, which belongs to the group of typical atoll pools, marked by the sponges Niphates sp., Amphimedon aff. compressa and Amphimedon viridis. In December 2019, the small amphipod crustacean Ampithoe marcuzzii, which lives among Sargassum and Dictyota algae, was collected in the pool. Genetic analyses showed that Ampithoe marcuzzii is a species complex that separates mainland populations from island populations. Tide pools with zoanthids, algae and small fish are common across the atoll's reef flat, including between Barreta Falsa and Piscina do Cemitério.

In the atoll, green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting usually takes place from December to June, and 500 nesting events have been recorded in a single season.