Lava flow formations from the southern volcano are overlaid with coral growth on the island s southwest side. St. Eustatius coastline is relatively undeveloped with the exception of its capital city, Oranjestad, and a trans-shipment oil terminal, both situated on the western coast. St. Eustatius Marine Park, established in 1997, provides protection to the island s reefs. Saba Bank is a submarine plateau that rises nearly 1000 meters above the surrounding sea floor, and has been described as a sunken atoll. Its eastern edge lies about 5 km southwest of Saba and, in it s entirety, the bank is 60 to 65 km long and 30 to 40 km wide.
Coral reefs are present on the bank s eastern and southeastern rim.
Because of it s distance from the islands, information collected from Saba Bank allows us to make conjectures regarding the potential for coral condition in this region in the absence of perturbation associated with land masses. Although the bank is not subjected to coastal processes, it has been impacted by intense fishing pressure in recent years, resulting in declining catches. Although there are interesting distinctions between the four areas surveyed, preliminary results are reported for the region as a whole. A comprehensive report will address the spatial contrast more thoroughly. Survey depths ranged from 5-20 meters.