The Saya de Malha Bank is the largest submerged bank in the world and is located northeast of Madagascar. The bank consists of two separate structures, the North Bank and the South Bank. The South Bank is nearly three times as large as the Chagos Bank, with a total area of 40,808 square kilometers. The Banks are identified by GOBI as important due to their "geology, high productivity in an area that is at least partly a biological desert, and through their status as the largest seagrass meadow in the open ocean." The area has been identified as biologically significant and not only has been deemed a Hope Spot by Mission Blue, but is the focus of a potential high seas MPA by WWF.
