Earth:Walters Shoals
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| Natal Seamount | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Summit depth | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Height | 4,750 m (15,580 ft) |
| Location | |
| Range | Walters Shoals |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] 33°12′S 43°50′E / 33.2°S 43.833°E |
The Walters Shoals is a group of submerged mountains off the coast of Madagascar. The shoals are 845 kilometres (525 mi) south of Cape Sainte Marie - Madagascar and 1,210 kilometres (750 mi) east of Richards Bay at the African coast. The tips of some of the mountains are only 18 metres (59 ft)[1] below the surface. The Walters Shoals is home to many species of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks and is considered as a Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area.[2] Groups of Barau's petrel (Pterodroma baraui) forage the area during their breeding season.[3] It was discovered in 1963 by the South African Hydrographic Frigate SAS Natal captained by Cmdr Walters. When found it had a huge population of Galápagos sharks but they have since been fished out.
References
- ↑ Collette, Bruce B.; Parin, N. V. (1 January 1991). "Shallow-Water Fishes of Walters Shoals, Madagascar Ridge". Bulletin of Marine Science 48 (1): 1–22. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/umrsmas/bullmar/1991/00000048/00000001/art00001. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
- ↑ "Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs): Walters Shoals". Convention on Biological Diversity. 12 June 2015. https://chm.cbd.int/database/record?documentID=204007.
- ↑ Marsac, Francis; Galletti, Florence; Ternon, Jean-François; Romanov, Evgeny V.; Demarcq, Hervé; Corbari, Laure; Bouchet, Philippe; Roest, Walter R. et al. (1 June 2020). "Seamounts, plateaus and governance issues in the southwestern Indian Ocean, with emphasis on fisheries management and marine conservation, using the Walters Shoal as a case study for implementing a protection framework". Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 176. doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2019.104715. ISSN 0967-0645. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967064519301407. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
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