Frente da Barretinha

Frente da Barretinha lies on the outer side of the reef ring, facing Barretinha, which has one of only two channels (barretas) in Atol das Rocas. Because of logistics and sea conditions, the outer side of the ring was little sampled in the sponge study, and the site was one of only two outer stations, both subject to strong wave action. The area outside the reef ring mostly has a flat, uniform bottom covered in algae and with few sponge species, except where reef heads form.