|
|
||
|
Search Archive | |
 |
 Jagged volcanic peaks (Above) overlook submerged coral reefs (below) accessible from Ofu Beach at National Park of American Samoa. In 2001, resource managers identified practical strategies for monitoring the remote national park’s coral reef resources within the capability of the park’s small staff. NPS photo by Chris Stein
Peter Craig
Back to Chapter 4: Marine and Coastal Resource Protection Articles A new era for marine resource protection at Dry Tortugas and the Florida Keys By Brien Culhane, AICP Evolution of coral reef monitoring at Virgin Islands By Jeff Miller USGS science for coastal national parks By Rebecca L. Beavers Shifting sands: The challenges of managing NPS coastal resources By Julia Brunner and Rebecca Beavers Other Developments Award-winner Profile - Dr. Charles Roman honored Damage assessment process bears fruit |
 |
 By Peter Craig The National Park of American Samoa may be small, but it is blessed with an abundance of coral reefs in its 2,550 marine acres on three South Pacific islands. These biologically diverse reefs support more than 200 coral species, 890 fish species, and countless invertebrates. Although the reefs are recovering well from the severe hurricane damage of 10 years ago, poaching has impacted fish populations and sea turtles are “rapidly approaching extinction,” according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service–National Marine Fisheries Service Recovery Plan. In 2001 the National Park of American Samoa began developing a monitoring program to evaluate the health of the ecosystem and implement management actions when warranted. Given the worldwide interest in monitoring coral reefs, several manuals are available that describe methodology for large-scale projects, but the realities of this small park make it necessary to focus on practical applications. To help identify appropriate strategies, a vital signs workshop convened in 2001 to view coral reef monitoring from a small-park perspective, where local resources are far fewer than in more developed states or countries with numerous management agencies and academic institutions. The challenge was to determine what information will be needed for practical management of coral reefs and what tasks can realistically be accomplished by managers of small and often remote marine protected areas. The workshop first identified on-site managers as the primary users of the monitoring program and then examined what information the managers needed and why. That information required knowledge of natural environmental changes and threats to the park’s reefs, which currently include factors such as local fishing pressure and natural forces (e.g., hurricanes and potentially increased mortalities due to global warming). Monitoring questions related to these threats and natural changes were formulated, followed by a listing of indicators, or “vital signs,” that would provide the desired information by tracking changes in reef condition over time. The vital signs selected for monitoring were human uses of the park and selected parameters for corals, other invertebrates, fish, algae, and water quality. A schedule for measuring vital signs was established, specifying those that should be measured annually or less frequently to document baseline conditions for possible future comparisons. This approach provided a convenient way to identify, organize, and prioritize the variables that should be included in a monitoring plan for a relatively small area like the National Park of American Samoa. It also identified some needs that exceed current park capabilities. The continuing development of the program will lead to appropriate sampling methods that will allow the park to monitor and manage the condition of its coral reefs. |
|||
|
This material is from Natural Resource Year in Review--2001, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in May 2001 (publication D-2255) /YearInReview/yir/yir2001/04_marine/04_2_craig.html Last Updated: |
