evidence: Juan de Nova is at a point off the Madagascar west coast characterized by significant aggregations of marine mammals, an indicator of high productivity likely driven by interactions between eddies and the shallowest sections of the Davie ridge. Europa and Bassas de India, in the center of the southern Mozambique channel, experience mature eddy systems. [...] Bassas da India is a subcircular atoll 12 km in diameter, with a shallow sandy lagoon and is almost entirely submerged at high tide. The atoll is currently growing and the reef slope is very steep, dropping to 3000 m to the bottom of the Mozambique Channel. [...] Jurisdiction - The Iles Éparses are under French jurisdiction, and since 2007 have been part of the French overseas territory called "French Southern and Antarctic Lands" (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises - TAAF), which also includes the southern islands of Crozet, Kerguelen Archipelago, St. Paul, Amsterdam and Terre Adelie. The EEZs of the Iles Éparses total 640,000 km2, and abut the EEZs of the neighbouring countries. The islands are subject to claims from these neighbouring countries, including Madagascar (Bassas da India, Europa, the Glorieuses islands and Juan da Nova) and from the Comoros for the Glorieuses islands.