Geography
Rodrigues is a volcanic island rising from a ridge along the edge of the Mascarene Plateau. The tectonically active Rodrigues Triple Point lies on the seafloor nearby. Even if the plateau under the lagoon surrounding Rodrigues may be much more ancient than the island, Rodrigues is only 1.5 million years old, over time Rodrigues has developed a unique environment, including many endemic species.
Rodrigues Island is situated some 560 kilometres (350 mi) kilometres to the East of Mauritius. It is located between Latitudes 19°40 and 19°46 South and Longitudes 63°20 and 63°30 East. It is about 18 km long and 6.5 km wide with an area of 108 km2. The shape is that of a whale back with a central ridge and deep cut valleys. The island is hilly with a central spine culminating in the highest peak, Mountain Limon 398 metres (1,306 ft). Rodrigues is the only Mascarene Island with extensive limestone deposits and caves. A large fringing reef surrounds the island forming a lagoon within which lie eighteen small islets.
The coral reef of Rodrigues is of particular interest as it is self-seeding – it receives no coral zooplankton from elsewhere. This has led to an overall species-poor but highly adapted ecosystem. A species of coral, two species of Pomacentrus damselfish and many new species of crustaceans are only found on Rodrigues' reefs.
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