Joy Smith; Bernardo Vargas-Angel; Juliette Verstaen; Andrew Shantz; Roseanna Lee; Candace Alagata; Frances Lichowski

Linking Watershed Activities to Reef Health in American Samoa: Land-Based Sources of Pollution Impacts on Aua Coral Reefs

2024

NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Research

"The overarching goals of this project were to establish a water quality and biological baseline for reefs in Aua, American Samoa, and provide managers with recommendations on how to reduce land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) in order to protect their coral reefs. Land-based sources of pollution include pollutants like sewage, enriched nutrients, and sediment that enter into coastal waters. Project Objectives: 1. Confirm the presence of a water quality gradient. 2. Assess the coral reef responses to land-based sources of pollution. 3. Determine if coastal acidification impacts the reefs of Aua. 4. Identify bioindicators for land-based sources of pollution. 5. Identify efforts that managers and community leaders can implement to maintain a healthy reef."

American Samoa, watershed, land-based sources of pollution, LBSP, coral reef

NMFS

PIFSC

FY2024 CRCP Project ID 31303; Project Title: Linking watershed management actions to reef health in American Samoa; Principal Investigator: Joy Smith