Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

12. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF AMERICAN SAMOA
AND MICRONESIA: US-AFFILIATED AND FREELY
ASSOCIATED ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC
C.E. BIRKELAND, P. CRAIG, G. DAVIS, A. EDWARD, Y. GOLBUU, J.
HIGGINS, J. GUTIERREZ, N. IDECHONG, J. MARAGOS, K. MILLER, G.
PAULAY, R. RICHMOND, A. TAFILEICHIG AND D. TURGEON
INTRODUCTION
The US Affiliated and Freely Associated islands of the tropical Pacific include American
Samoa and the islands of Micronesia (excluding Kiribati). Most lie north of the equator,
except American Samoa, which is considered part of Polynesia, but has the high coral
diversity and cultural dependence on coral reefs similar to Micronesia. Micronesia is made
up of a group of small tropical islands and atolls in the central and Indo-west pacific, and
encompasses an area of approximately 11.6 million km 2 , larger than continental United
States. The vast majority of this area is ocean, with a land mass just over 3,000km 2 . From
east to west, the US Affiliated and ‘Freely Associated’ islands include American Samoa, the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam (an unincorporated
Territory) and the Republic of Belau (Palau). As a region, Micronesia possesses a high
diversity of corals and associated organisms and the human population is heavily
dependent on coral reefs and related resources both economically and culturally. The
coral reefs of American Samoa and Micronesia range in condition from nearly pristine to
seriously damaged by anthropogenic disturbance. The human impacts include overfishing,
ship groundings, sedimentation and coastal pollution. In the past, human impacts
were largely related to the size of the resident populations, however fishing fleets from
other nations have taken their toll on even the most remote islands and atolls. Although
nuclear testing in the region stopped in the 1950s, some islands are still used for military
exercises and testing of non-nuclear missiles. Micronesia is a highly rated scuba diving
destination, and rapid tourism related development, including new roads, hotels, golf
courses and personal watercraft, is having a substantial effect on coastal reefs on some islands.
American Samoa
The Territory of American Samoa is a group of 5 volcanic islands and 2 atolls in the central
South Pacific Ocean. The islands are small, ranging from Tutuila (142km 2 ) to the uninhabited
and remote Rose Atoll (4km 2 ). The total reef area is 296km 2 , which consist mostly of narrow
fringing reefs (85%) growing up against the steep slopes of the main islands, a few offshore
banks (12%) and two atolls (3%). The fringing reefs have narrow reef flats (50-500m) and
with depths of 1000m within 2-8km of the shore. The coral reefs have a diverse
assemblage of 890 fishes, 200+ corals, and 80 algal species and provide an important
source of subsistence food and minor income. The reefs also provide shoreline protection,
a focus for tourism and small-scale collection for the aquarium trade.
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