Joe Seger
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Steve Turek |
The Department of the Interior
US Fish & Wildlife Service
National Park Service
US Geological Survey
Office of Insular Affairs
Minerals Management Service
Conclusion/Contacts
Office of Insular Affairs
DOI has administrative responsibility for coordinating federal policy in the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and oversight of federal programs and funds in the freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) works to develop more efficient and effective government in the insular areas by recommending policies, providing financial and technical assistance, and strengthening Federal-insular relationships.
 
Coral Cultivation and Reef Restoration. Scientists at the University of Guam have determined the reproductive cycle for several species of Pacific corals and have pioneered new techniques for their cultivation and restoration. In the Ist photograph, a colony of finger coral releases a cloud of gametes on a Guam reef. A "coral seeder", shown in the next photograph, is used to induce settlement and development of corals. This is one of several advances in reef restoration techniques made by University of Guam scientists.
Programs and Recent Accomplishments Related to Coral Reefs:
U.S. Islands Plan of Action: The majority of coral reefs in the United States are located in the insular areas. Since 1994, OIA has sponsored several workshops with island governments to identify local and regional priorities for the protection and sustainable use of their coral reefs. The priorities are summarized in the U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Initiative Strategy, available from OIA. The Strategy identifies a broad scope of action, from education and outreach to the establishment of marine protected areas and increased local enforcement. The Strategy is a cornerstone of the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs, adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in March 2000.
Traditional Fishing, American Samoa. The insular areas are developing and adopting comprehensive management strategies to protect and sustainably manage their coral reefs, ensuring that present and future generations will continue to enjoy the beauty and abundant resources of these unique ecosystems.
Coral Reef Grants: OIA, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, annually provides technical and financial assistance to the insular areas to improve the management and protection of their marine resources. Grants support a broad range of projects designed to fill gaps in management capacity and to develop a comprehensive resource management program within each of the jurisdictions. Notable accomplishments include the declaration of new protected areas, status reports on reef health, the establishment of local coral reef advisory groups, the development of community-based management plans, expanded research on coral health and restoration, the development of GIS information and management tools, the development of culturally appropriate education materials, and increased public awareness and community support for the sustainable use and conservation of coral reefs. Recognizing that overfishing poses a particularly serious threat to their local reef fish stocks, American Samoa recently banned SCUBA-assisted fishing as well as the harvest of live rock. With support from OIA and NOAA, the first territorial parks have been established in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Regional Cooperation: The Marine Resources Pacific Consortium (MAREPAC) was established in December 1999 with funding from OIA. MAREAPC is a model program that romotes regional cooperation on marine resource use, management, and preservation among the Pacific Islands of American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the Republic of Palau, Guam, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. MAREPAC now serves as the advisory group to the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures and is helping them craft effective legislation on the conservation and sustainable use of their marine resources.
Working with the Freely Associated States: The U.S. affiliated islands total fewer that 2,000 square miles of land in aggregate but are distributed over more than 3,000,000 square miles of ocean - an area equivalent to the conterminous United States. These waters are home to some of the most extensive and biologically diverse coral reef ecosystems in the world. Islanders have depended on these resources for a wide range of utilitarian, symbolic, and ornamental functions since prehistoric times. OIA works with the freely associated states to improve the management and use of their marine resources. With funding from OIA, a team of stakeholders and technical experts is designing the first national system of protected areas in the Federated States of Micronesia. Using an ecoregional planning approach, the team is developing a portfolio of marine and terrestrial conservation areas that are representative of the full array of ecological communities. OIA is also working with partners to conduct an assessment of Ailinginae Atoll in the Marshall Islands that is expected to lead to the atoll being declared a World Heritage Site.
Reef Recovery: OIA worked with other Federal and local partners to remove nine abandoned fishing vessels grounded by a storm on coral reefs in Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa. Monitoring of the area indicates that some of the coral reefs are recovering. OIA also provided funds to the Government of Guam to assist with the recovery of their coral reefs following Typhoon Paka in 1997.
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