Captaincies of the Azores very clear, as it has been both referred to as the "comendador da ilha de Santa Maria e nosso capitão nos Açores" ("Commander of the island of Santa Maria and Our captain of the Azores"), or alternately as the "comendador das ilhas dos Açores" ("Commander of the Azores"). The more probable interpretation of this role, being from the Order of Christ responsible for the administration of the islands, came from the "comenda" regime, referring to a "knighthood" or "commandery", normally associated with the Order in Portugal, but applied to the, then, populous island of Santa Maria in the archipelago. Still,
Hydrothermal vents and seamounts of the Azores waters of the Azores: These sites, with the exception of the Moytirra system, are located in the southern part of the archipelago, and have been investigated by national and international scientists. The isolated Dom João de Castro Bank is also considered in this group; located between São Miguel and Terceira, the seamount is one of the highest independent seamounts in the archipelago and home to a thriving marine volcanic habitat. In 2010, a shallow hydrothermal field was discovered off the Ponta da Espalamaca, on the island of Faial, showing evidence of de-gasification. Efforts are being made to classify these areas