Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — According to the International Year of the Reef 2018 website, "the world's coral reefs are under threat". It's no secret that global warming and man-made pollutants are putting coral reefs at risk. And in an effort to get locals to become more proactive in addressing the issue, Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga has proclaimed 2018 as the Year of the Reef in American Samoa.

"In American Samoa, we must take immediate action to prevent further loss of the island's coral reef ecosystems within our children's lifetimes; innovative partnerships involving all members of the community, as well as national and international partners will be needed to help us conserve and sustain our precious resources," Lolo wrote.

"I urge our community to acknowledge the importance of preserving the coral reefs that surround American Samoa, and to take action to protect our reefs for the future."

According to Lolo, for thousands of years, Pacific Islanders have relied on coral reef ecosystems for food, protection, and economic support. "Despite the value of our reefs, these unique areas are under constant threat from pollution, poor land use practices, recreational misuse and overuse, unsustainable harvest of fish and other resources, and climate change."

He said that over the past 5 years, American Samoa's reefs have experienced repeated coral bleaching, one major cyclone, and two fishing vessel groundings; and these events have damaged and caused the death of many corals that protect our island and support fishing.

Lolo concluded, "I support the local efforts to protect and promote the health of American Samoa's coral reefs with their participation and coordination in developing specific programs and hosting events to strengthen coral reef management and raise awareness within local communities."

The Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) in the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) is on board.

2018 is a great year to reflect on how important the reef is to our way of life in American Samoa, said a CRAG representative. "American Samoa  joins partners from around the world in  celebrating the International Year of the Reef as we acknowledge the importance of conserving and sustaining our precious resources."

Locals can see for themselves the damages sustained by coral reefs by logging on to  <www.iyor2018.org>

On the homepage, there is a side-by-side photograph of a healthy coral in American Samoa, taken in 2014 by the Ocean Agency/XL Catlin Seaview Survey. The other photo — of the same coral — was taken a year later in 2015.

After a bleaching event, the coral is now dead. This is what happens when the water temperature rises by only a few degrees.

Later this year in August, American Samoa will host the 40th US Coral Reef Task Force Conference and those expected to be in attendance include officials from several federal organizations including the Office of Insular and International Affairs, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Fisheries and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, US Department of Agriculture, Defense, US Agency for International Development, State Department, Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, NASA, Coast Guard and the National Science Foundation.

ABOUT IYR

            At the 31st General Meeting (November 2016 in Paris, France), the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) declared 2018 as the third International Year of the Reef (IYOR) and encouraged its members to:

• Strengthen awareness globally about the value of, and threats to, coral reefs and their associated ecosystems;
• Promote partnerships between Governments, the private sector, academia and civil society on the management of coral reefs;
• Identify and implement effective management strategies for conservation, increased resiliency and sustainable use of these ecosystems and promoting best practices; and
• Share information on best practices in relation to sustainable coral reef management.