The bank was formed 35 million years ago by the Réunion hotspot, and is composed of basaltic basal rock overlain with limestone.

Millions of years ago, the bank was one or more mountainous volcanic islands, like present-day Mauritius and Réunion, which subsequently sank below the waves.

After traversing miles of deep blue Indian Ocean, they found themselves sailing above a shallow area of the bank, covered with swaying green seagrass.

Due to Moresby's ill health, the Saya de Malha bank was his last survey in a long and brilliant career exploring and charting the archipelagos and reefs of the Indian Ocean.

[4] They attempted to create or grow an island around a steel structure that has been anchored to the North Bank sea floor at a depth of 11 m (36 ft).

Excerpt from an online interview with Wolf Hilbertz in Celestopea Times, 2004: You and your discovery of accreting minerals in seawater into solid forms has inspired several groups over the years to contemplate creating artificial islands for their piece of paradise.

Is there an update on either of those projects or words of encouragement for others seeking something similar?Examining the geography and bathymetry of the globe to find a spot in the ocean where to establish a permanent research settlement I came upon Seamount Ampere, east of Gibraltar, and Skerki Bank near Sicily.

In 1997, Goreau and I sailed to Saya de Malha's many shallow sites and established the first accretion structure there, powered by floating photovoltaics and thus claiming the banks.