"Changing Seas" features National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

July 2020

PBS Changing Seas television series has launched "American Samoa's Resilient Coral Reefs," a documentary series episode featuring National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. The film premieres online at www.changingseas.tv on July 1, 2020.

Now in its 12th Season, Changing Seas is a public television series produced by South Florida PBS in Miami, Florida. Since 2009, the series has taken viewers on "an exciting adventure to the heart of our liquid planet." Previous episodes of this outstanding documentary series have featured national marine sanctuaries, including Cordell Bank, Florida Keys, and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale national marine sanctuaries.

Management and staff at NMSAS hosted the series production crew while they filmed in American Samoa, sharing our exciting research and the stunning beauty of the sanctuary.

diver swimming over big momma coral head — A scuba diver swims over Big Momma, a single massive Porites coral colony in the national marine sanctuary at Ta‘u, American Samoa. [Photo: Changing Seas/South Florida PBS]

Far out in the South Pacific, there's a tropical island paradise. Known as the "Islands of Sacred Earth," the territory of American Samoa is one of the United States' most remote outposts. Its waters are home to stunningly beautiful coral reefs, including two of the world's oldest and largest coral colonies on record. Many of these sites are protected inside America's only National Marine Sanctuary and National Park south of the equator.

Coral reefs around the world are in serious decline, but American Samoa's reefs have so far been relatively resilient in the face of local and global stressors. To better understand and protect the corals, the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa's science team is setting up a multi-faceted monitoring program to document the reefs' condition and any changes that might occur over time.

diver examining a coral reef and writing on a clip board — NMSAS scientist conducting transect surveys. [Photo: Changing Seas/South Florida PBS]

Together with their partners from the Coral Reef Advisory Group and the National Park of American Samoa, the scientists are trying to figure out what makes the territory's coral reefs more resilient than others, and how lessons learned locally might help corals that are in decline elsewhere.

school of fish swimming over a reef — A school of butterflyfish and diverse reefscape in National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. [Photo: Changing Seas/South Florida PBS]

There will also be an interactive live virtual screening on Tuesday, July 28 at 11:00 a.m. (American Samoa time) hosted by a panel of local science experts who can answer your questions. Link to register for the screening: https://www.changingseas.tv/events/

ONMS Featured:
High Talking Chief Atuatasi Lelei Peau, Acting Superintendent, NMSAS
Valerie Brown, Research Coordinator, NMSAS