Project Details
Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago
Project Status: This project began in August, 2009 and was completed in August, 2011
We examined the marine biogeography of the Samoan archipelago in the south central Pacific Ocean, with a focus on regional ocean climate, island connectivity via ocean currents, distributions of reef fish and coral communities, and the extent of existing marine-protected areas (MPA). Managers, scientists, and conservation planners will use this information to prioritize placement of MPAs and encourage international cooperation.
Why We Care
The diverse coral reefs around American Samoa are part of the only US territory in the south central Pacific Ocean. To make responsible management decisions, officials and scientists must have a complete understanding of the status and location of these large, critically important habitats and ecosystems, including insight concerning their interdependence on reefs and the adjacent island nations.
What We’re Doing
Our objective was to develop a biogeographic assessment of the reef ecosystems and ocean areas surrounding the Samoan archipelago. A key goal in this assessment was to compile data from both Samoa and American Samoa and to conduct the characterization across the entire archipelago. The study built on earlier assessments by re-analyzing and interpreting many original datasets, adding more recent biogeographic data sources, and combining earlier findings into a multidisciplinary summary of marine biogeography.
What We Found
Our key findings addressed and/or revealed the:
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Oceanography of the Samoan archipelago
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Ocean currents and larval transport among islands and shallow seamounts of the Samoan archipelago and adjacent island nations.
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Biogeographic assessment of fish and coral communities of the Samoan archipelago.
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Existing network of MPAs in American Samoa.
Related Region of Study: American Samoa
Primary Contact: Matt Kendall
Research Area:
Science for Coastal Ecosystem Management
Related NCCOS Center: CCMA
Publications
- Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical
Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Entire report, High-resolution PDF, 168 MB)
- Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical
Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Entire report, Low-resolution PDF, 33 MB)
- Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. Frontmatter. In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. Biogeographic
Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229
pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 618 KB)
- Kendall, M.S., 2011. Chapter 1 – Introduction to the Biogeographic Assessment. In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti
(eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS
NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 630 KB)
- Pirhalla, D., Ransi, V., Kendall, M.S. and D. Fenner, 2011. Chapter 2 – Oceanography of the Samoan
Archipelago, In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 12.2 MB)
- Kendall, M.S., Poti, M. Wynne, T., Kinlan, B.P. and L.B. Bauer, 2011. Chapter 3 – Ocean Currents and Larval
Transport among Islands and Shallow Seamounts of the Samoan Archipelago and Adjacent Island Nations. In_
Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical
Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 7.3 MB)
- Kendall, M.S., Poti, M., Carroll, B., Fenner, D., Green, A., Jacob, L., Samuelu Ah Leong, J., Kinlan, B.P., Williams,
I.D. and J. Zamzow , 2011. Chapter 4 – Biogeographic Assessment of Fish and Coral Communities of the Samoan
Archipelago. In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Poti, M., Kendall, M.S., Brighouse, G., Clark, T., Grant, K., Jacob, L., Lawrence, A., Reynolds, M. and S.
Vaitautolu,, 2011. Chapter 5 – The Existing Network of marine protected Areas in American Samoa. In_Kendall,
M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical
Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 4.9 MB)
- - Bauer, L.B. and M. Kendall, 2011. Appendix A – Seamounts within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Samoa
and American Samoa. In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan
Archipelago. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 1
MB)
- Kendall, M., 2011. Appendix B – Shoreline to Shelf Edge Benthic Maps of Tutuila, American Samoa. In_ Kendall,
M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical
Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 640 KB)
- Kendall, M., 2011. Appendix C – Fish and Coral Data Plots. In_ Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A
Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver
Spring, MD. 229 pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 842 KB)
- Lawrence, A. and M. Poti, 2011. Appendix D – Key Attributes and Activities of MPAs in the Existing Network
of MPAs in American Samoa as of January 2011. In_Kendall, M.S. and M. Poti (eds.), 2011. A Biogeographic
Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 132. Silver Spring, MD. 229
pp. (Low-resolution PDF, 559 KB)
Packages and Downloads
Presentations and/or Posters
News and Feature Stories
- • Feb 1, 2012: NCCOS Scientist Recognized by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
- Sep. 18, 2011: Biogeographic Assessment of the Samoan Archipelago Sheds Light on Marine Life and Biological Connectivity Among Islands
- Feb. 21, 2010: Work Plan for the Biogeographic Assessment of Samoa; In Support of the Two Samoas Initiative
- Nov. 21, 2009: NCCOS and the National Park Service Launch a Gap Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Data for Ten U.S. Tropical Parks which Include Coral Reef Ecosystems
- Aug. 27, 2009: Candidate Sites Characterized for Potential Sanctuary Expansion in American Samoa
- Mar. 21, 2009: Managers and Scientists Conduct Biogeographic Assessment Toward Potential Network of Samoan MPAs’s efforts to develop a network of marine protected areas
- Mar. 11, 2009: Managers and Scientists Conduct Biogeographic Assessment Toward Potential Network of Samoan MPAs
- May 14, 2008: NOAA and American Samoa Managers and Scientists Collaboration to Provide Information for Potential Network of Marine Protected Areas to Improve Resource Conservation
- Mar. 3, 2005: NOAA releases detailed maps in American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands