Amesbury, S. S., Ginsburg, D., Rongo, T., Kirkendale, L., Starmer, J.

War-in-the-Pacific National Historical Park marine biological survey

1999

UOGML Technical Report 156

9

A report to the U.S. National Park Service

"The War-in-the-Pacific National Historical Park (WAPA) consists of 1,960 acres (958 land, 1002 water) in seven discontiguous units. The purpose of the park is to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific Theatre of World War II and to conserve and interpret outstanding natural, scenic, and historic values on the island of Guam.? Two of the parks seven units contain significant coastal water resources, including both coral reefs and reef flats. The Asan Unit consists of 109 land acres and 445 offshore acres and is the site of the northern invasion beach. The coastline within this unit is approximately 1.8 miles long and is characterized by a fringing reef platform extending from 300 feet to 1000 feet in width. The Agat Unit consists of 38 land acres and 557 offshore acres and is the site of the southern invasion beach. The coastline within this unit is approximately 3.3 miles long with a fringing reef platform extending from 1000 to 1500 feet in width. In both units, an inner reef flat occurs along most of the shoreward side of the fringing reef. Impounded water in this reef flat varies from 1 to 4 feet in depth below low tides, when section of the outer reef flat may be exposed. In order to assess the marine resources within the War-in-the-Pacific Park, a marine biological survey was designed to provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the fish, coral, and marine plants throughout the marine habitats of the park; a less complete assessment of marine macroinvertebrates was also made. Four fish transects surveyed in 1974 were also resurveyed to determine whether any significant changes in the fish communities has occurred over the intervening years."