Among the indigenous plants present, the Latania loddigesii, Pandanus vandermeeschii, Psiadia arguta, as well as the reintroduced Dracaena concinna and Aloe tormentorii, imported from the island of Coin de Mire.

The rich vegetation of the interior of the island combined with the presence of wetlands also favor the nesting of the striated heron (Butorides striata) and occasionally also attract the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), the plover (Pluvialis squatarola) and the Ruddy turnstone(Arenaria interpres).

Some exotic species such as the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), the red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) and the House sparrow (Passer domesticus) are present.

Three exotic species have also been introduced to the island: the geckos Hemidactylus frenatus, Gehyra mutilata and the fossorial snake Indotyphlops braminus(Typhlopidae).

Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent described it from aboard the Naturaliste: she is "much lower than the others; a beach of limestone makes it remarkable from afar, and appears with a dazzling white hue; the rest of its rocks are reddish or black".

To explain these last colors, he refers to a certain Lilet, an engineer officer, who would have visited the reef and who told him he had found the debris of an ancient crater of volcano.

The planned archaeological investigation includes detailed surveys of infrastructure, paths, and architectural features pertaining to the quarantine station as well as the cemetery.

Over the years, four archaeological campaigns have been performed through intensive survey and execution of test-pits, in particular around the provision store building, one of the hospitals, and one of the camps that hosted the immigrants during quarantine.