American Samoa coral reef marine protected area strategy

Coral reefs are an important natural resource in American Samoa providing protection, food, and other benefits. American Samoa's reefs have suffered numerous natural and anthropogenic destructive impacts including crown-of-thorns starfish infestations, coral bleaching events, cyclones, sedimentation and pollution. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one form of management that can be used to address some of these threats to the reefs. Studies have shown that well-designed no-take reserves are particularly effective in maintaining biodiversity, productivity and ecological integrity of coral reefs (NOAA, 2002). MPAs also protect trophic systems and ecosystem resilience.