Clark, Tim

Control of Crown of Thorns Starfish at the National Park of America Samoa

2014

National Park of American Samoa; NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

Status Report

"Outbreak levels of COTs were detected in American Samoa in November 2011.From 2011 to 2013 the outbreak was sporadically tracked and some removal efforts were conducted by NPSA and other resource managers from the local Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) agencies.Much of the initial survey and removal effort wasconcentrated on the South side of Tutuila (where the COTs were first observed). Surveys began on the North side of Tutuila in December 2012, but no COTs were observed on this side of the island until August 2013, when fishermen who were participating in the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources COT Bounty Program discovered COTs in Fagasa (Lawrence, pers. comm.). This report documents the efforts by NPSA and other local agenices starting in March 2013, when formal methods for the detection and eradication of COTs were developed and implented in American Samoa."

FY2014; CRCP Project ID: 198; Project Title: Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grant Programs; Principal Investigator: Kristine Bucchianeri; CRCP grant number NA15NOS4820038