Summary PROJECT INACTIVE

Reefs sites in American Samoa, like the rest of the globe, face compounding threats from local pollution and overfishing, as well as the global threat of rising temperatures. To both investigate the linkages between these threats and inform the public about them, we will work with local communities and stakeholders across multiple sites in American Samoa, to (a) spatially map coral critical thermal thresholds, (b) correlate them with environmental history, algal symbiont distributions, land based pollution levels and site-specific management efforts. We will couple our experiments in each site with outreach activities and citizen-scientist trainings. Finally, using estimates of the heritability of these thresholds and regionally oceanographic connectivity, we will parameterize 1st-generation models of regional thermal threshold evolution.

Student Involvement

This project provided direct research experience for two CSUMB undergraduates (one who travelled to American Samoa for one month of field work), and two local American Samoa high school students.

Broader Significance

Outcomes of the project include (a) a growing atlas of coral thermal “toughness” across reef sites in American Samoa, (b) a better understanding of the effect of management actions on coral thermal resistance, (c) a 1st generation regional model of the evolution of these critical thermal thresholds, and (d) communities that are more engaged and informed on these issues. Performance will be evaluated by our production of scientific publications, relevant management reports, and outreach materials, as well as by the engagement of local communities and the support for budding citizen scientists.