The Dollabarat Reef is part of the Formigas Islets Nature Reserve which covers . Around the Formigas Reserve, including the Dollabarat, sea cliffs fall rapidly between , although gently to the north and south. The gradient around the Dollabarat is less accentuated. There is a large abundance of sea animals in the vicinity. In addition to species of sharks, other aquatic animals such as
sea chub,
trigger fish,
mantas,
turtles and
dolphins have been observed in the waters around Dollabarat, including the
Atlantic goliath grouper (usually found in depths between 10–40 m). The floor of the seamount is generally covered by a dense layer of
seaweed, dominated by the
Cystoseira species, a seaweed found in deeper areas. In shallower depths less than from the surface there are populations of
Laminaria (large colonies of chestnut seaweeds). The Department of Oceanography and Fisheries at the
University of the Azores (
Ponta Delgada) monitors and studies these species annually through scientific missions to the reef and surrounding islets. ==References==