1. Scuba spearfishing is now banned in park waters of American Samoa,

Based upon park monitoring data, in 2001 American Samoa prohibited use of scuba gear while fishing, a significant step to reduce loss of the large fish reef component.

2. Park waters at Kaloko-Honokohau, American Samoa, and Guam are established as partial Marine Protected Areas.

These waters are now at least partially protecting marine ecosystems. Efforts are underway to further manage subsistence take for better long-term protection to fish stocks. (The National Park of American Samoa and Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary only allow subsistence fishing by villagers but not commercial fishing). Kaloko park waters now are designated a State Fisheries Management Area. Special fishing provisions greatly limit commercial take--lay nets are limited and must be locally handmade of natural fibers. Aquarium fishing vessels must be registered and marked.

3. In Hawaii "ecological" as well as merely "public health" effects must now be considered and evaluated when State development permits are granted (as a result of Contested Case Hearings brought by Kaloko-Honokohau park).

Park waters at Kaloko are continually violated by groundwater pollution from adjacent developments. As an "intervening party" in recent State's Land Use Commission (LUC) hearings to rezone lands upslope of the park from Conservation to Urban, the park succeeded in requiring upslope industrial developers control their non-point source pollution from wastewater and storm water runoff. After a year of proceedings (including ten days of expert NPS testimony) the LUC issued landmark orders imposing new stringent conditions providing protection from non-point source pollution. This is a landmark case. Heretofore only effects upon waters that could result in human health hazard could be regarded as deciding criteria. This case now allows consideration of potential ecological hazards for all new permits statewide to be considered as well.

4. Pacific parks have begun comprehensive studies of rising ocean temperature effects at Ofu, and of potential management strategies to mitigate these changes.

Recognizing the probability that coral reefs, including those within the Pacific Parks, will suffer substantial mortality from global warming the marine parks' have begun studies and monitoring to devise strategies to maintain or restore affected coral reefs. Studies include transplanting coral fragments, or by sustaining coral brood stocks for restoration, as best management procedures for dealing with the predicted stresses on coral reef systems. Long term cooperative studies experimentally comparing survival rates of transplanted corals of differing ages and sizes are ongoing at Ofu Island, where transplants are naturally subjected to differing stress regimes.

5. War-in-the-Pacific National Historic Park has devised comprehensive landscape management objectives to reduce soil erosion and associated coastal sedimentation.

Three potential management actions to began in Asan's savannas are: 1) reduce wildfire occurrences; 2) restore badland areas; and 3) restore badland areas.

6. Comprehensive inventories of fishes, corals, marine invertebrates, marine mammals and herps have been initiated for all the Pacific parks with marine waters.

These inventories are available online to collaborating scientists at the NPS NPSpecies website. Publicly available species lists (illustrated) derived from NPSpecies databases are available here. Click on links on the right hand column of this page.

7. Significant reports, publications, and studies have been compiled relevant to understanding and managing the Pacific Parks' coral reefs.

View list of these reports.

Corals
Nat'l Park of
Am Samoa

Preliminary Responses

Despite the very short existence of the Pacific parks Coral Reef Initiative, there have been some significant and effective responses: