Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The remoteness of American Samoa is, for the most part, to our benefit when it comes to the health of our island's ecosystems. Being in the middle of the ocean, away from everything, has its advantages. Our ocean waters are still relatively clean. Although we deal with marine debris, most of it is land-based and within our control (we just need to control it). We do not have major factories dumping toxins into our waters that kill off hundreds of species. We have even managed to stave off climate change's evil twin, ocean acidification, and our goal is to keep it that way.

Like trees, the ocean also absorbs carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is created by the burning of fossil fuels. Everyday activities that contribute to CO2 overload in the atmosphere include running your air conditioner all day and driving a car with low fuel mileage, as both require fossil fuels to operate. Increased CO2 in the ocean makes it harder for coral reefs and shell-forming organisms (like clams) to build their skeletons and shells. However, there are solutions too! One of the simplest things you can do with any environmental issue you are passionate about is to share what you know. That is exactly what Tafuna High School marine science educator, Ms. Roberta (Ertta) Laumoli, and her class did this school year.

Ms. Ertta took the first step in contributing to Ocean Stewardship this past summer by participating in Fatoata’s NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) Educator’s Workshop. The workshop provided educators with tools and resources to help them incorporate ocean acidification in their classrooms. As the school year began, the educators took what they learned about ocean acidification and shared it with their students. Ms.Ertta, Claire Bacus-Deewees and Mary Cheung-Fuk worked together and independently within their classrooms to highlight ocean acidification in their lesson plans. Their students conducted outreach, and got creative, through the development of public service announcements that shared what they learned about ocean acidification. In January, educators shared their teaching experience through photos and public service announcements. Ms. Ertta’s class excelled in all aspects of ocean acidification education, and her students' public service announcement won first place.

That win resulted in a boat trip this past Saturday to Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Pago Pago Game Fishing Association, in collaboration with Fatoata, was able to take Ms. Ertta and her students boating and snorkeling. Fagatele Bay has a PacIOOS buoy that collects data such as water temperature, and pH that scientists use to monitor ocean acidification (https://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/), that the students had a chance to see. This was the first time on a boat for a lot of the students, who were fascinated with everything they saw, which included jellyfish, dolphins and Fagatele Bay itself.

Ms.Ertta Laumoli and some of her students snorkeling at Fagatele Bay. Ms.Ertta’s class won 1st place for the Fatoata Ocean Acidification Public Service Announcement competition. The trip to Fagatele Bay was their reward. [courtesy photo]

These boat trips encourage students to become active stewards of their ocean and connect science to their daily lives. Students go home and share about the beauty and wonder that they experienced and it gets their family and community members talking about their environment and equally curious. Community members reach out inquiring about going to Fagatele Bay or going on a boat trip as most have never been on a boat. We want people to be curious about our ocean, and the incredible ecosystems that are just below the surface of the water. Especially during a time when policies are being made that will have long lasting implications that our next generation will have to address.

You can learn more about Ertta’s class and their ongoing stewardship efforts by following The Warrior on Facebook. Want to help our students with their community outreach? Scan the QR code and take their survey.