Monitoring
Monitoring
is an important management tool. It gives managers and stakeholders
information on the state of the ecosystem that, with the correct
data, can help determine cause and effect relationships between
management actions and ecological outcomes. Recognizing this, CRAG
has developed a monitoring system that meets the needs of managers,
while taking into account the Territory’s limited capacity.
The American Samoa Coral Reef Monitoring Plan
was designed by the Coral Reef Monitoring Coordinator and CRAG Monitoring
Working Group to create a management driven program that is achievable
with on-island staff and resources and resilient to staff turnover.
American Samoa began implementing the integrated coral reef monitoring
plan in early 2005. This program consists of 11 core sites, distributed
geographically around the island. It will also assist individual
agency monitoring efforts, as well as the Community-based Fisheries
Management Program at the DMWR. For the first time, the Territory
will have a single point of reference and contact for monitoring
activities, as well as a centralized database.
