Coral Reef Ecosystems Of American Samoa

This booklet provides an overview of key findings and temporal trends from the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) research surveys conducted in American Samoa in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) with financial support from NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. This summary report builds on the comprehensive analyses of research surveys from 2002-2006 published in the Coral reef ecosystem monitoring report for American Samoa 2002-2006--P. [1].

"American Samoa is in a strong position to improve management of its impressive coral reef resources. While the territory does face significant challenges, overall its coral reefs are in relatively good condition and the issues affecting them are not intractable. In particular, development pressure on the American Samoan islands is not excessive and can be managed to protect coastal ocean and reef health. The coral reefs that surround much of American Samoa are essential to the culture and the long-term function of the local economy. Long-term projected trends of coral ecosystem heath are not encouraging. The diagnosis is pretty clear. Population will continue to increase, and in all likelihood, the goods and services that coral reef ecosystems provide to society will continue to decline. The prescription, we believe, is rooted in a long term strategy aimed at building adaptive capacity to respond to this central challenge. We recommend investment in a multi-dimensional capacity building strategy that builds on the momentum of this analysis with implementation aimed at both early wins and long term system changes. First and foremost, capacity building is about orienting efforts toward change and interpreting what change is possible given limited capacity. This requires comprehending factors of organizational behavior, appreciating the complexity of change, the limitations of top-down mandates, the benefits of inclusive and meaningful engagement, the inevitability of unexpected disruptions, and the connection between individual aspirations and collective action"--Page 2.