Investor Presentaiton
United States Coral Reef Task Force Presentation
Governor Togiola T.A. Tulafono
February 25, 2009
Talofa and good morning, Co-chairs, USCRTF members, Ladies and Gentlemen, invited guests,
members of the public, etc...
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the invitation to speak today about the
importance of US Coral Reef Task Force in providing opportunities and confronting challenges
facing a territory, such as American Samoa. We are the most southern of the jurisdictions at this
table, with 5 volcanic islands and 2 atolls in the central South Pacific Ocean. Our islands are
small, ranging in size from the heavily populated main island of Tutuila to the uninhabited,
remote, and now National Marine Monument of Rose Atoll. The volcanic islands are entirely
coastal, and are surrounded by fringing reefs which are home to more than 2,700 species of
corals, fish, invertebrates, marine plants, turtles and marine mammals. We have approximately
five times the number of coral species as Hawaii, or the entire Caribbean.
Unfortunately, despite being amongst the most resilient and diverse on the planet, coral reefs
face a number of key threats in America Samoa, including major disturbances such as mass
coral bleaching events, hurricanes, crown of thorns starfish and extreme low tide events.
Compounded with a fast growing population, and the associated increases in land-based
pollution, sedimentation, piggeries, land development, and the lack of proper sewage treatment
-we face not just challenging times but the need to accelerate actions to address these impacts
immediately. Our oceans are changing, and coral reef fish populations, particularly around
Tutuila, have low biomass and few large fish species are found. Our climate is changing, the
waters are warming, and the sea levels are rising. We have documented what we believe to be
the first multiple species coral community in the world which is bleaching annually. Climate
models tell us that this annual bleaching is not expected to occur for decades, but in American
Samoa, the future is now, we live it every day.
We are facing numerous other threats to our resources, and to our culture, as well. Clearly, the
challenges are great, and the threats are urgent, but American Samoa is a small territory of only
69,000 people. We have no University, we have no environmental NGOs, we have no research
stations, and we have a very limited amount of staff to manage coral and coastal resources, and
to address the concerns and threats I have just touched upon.
And so how do we adequately manage our coral reefs, in the face of such threats, and in spite of
all of these seemingly overwhelming obstacles? The answer to this situation is the USCRTF,
which has afforded us the opportunity to receive exceptional science and monitoring expertise
via a number of successful collaborative, projects and program activities. Being a member of
the Task Force has provided American Samoa with a forum to engage the scientific community
and to devise collaborative solutions to pressing issues. We are also provided with a means to
cooperate with government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and commercial interests
to further the understanding and conservation of our coral reef ecosystems. The USCRTF has
been instrumental in building partnerships and strategies for on-the-ground action to preserve
and protect coral reef ecosystems.View entire presentation